"Please go for him even if you have to go till ₹25 crore" - Aakash Chopra on Rishabh Pant as RCB's potential acquisition in IPL 2025 auction
Aakash Chopra reckons Rishabh Pant should be one of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) targeted acquisitions at the IPL 2025 auction. He urged the franchise to be ready to pay an exorbitant sum to acquire the wicketkeeper-batter's services.
RCB retained only three players - Virat Kohli (₹21 crore), Rajat Patidar (₹11 crore), and Yash Dayal (₹5 crore) - ahead of the auction. They have a remaining budget of ₹83 crore to assemble the rest of the squad.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra', the former India opener opined that the Royal Challengers Bengaluru should be willing to pay a huge sum to buy Pant.
"In the middle, Rishabh Pant. Will you go towards Rishabh Pant? In my opinion, they should go towards him. Again a small ground, it will suit him as well. Please go for him even if you have to go till ₹25 crore," he said (4:20).
Chopra named KL Rahul as an alternate Indian wicketkeeper-batter option for the franchise.
"If you feel you don't need Rishabh Pant and need KL Rahul because he is a local boy and knows this ground as well, he will also like the small ground and flat pitch. So you can also try to bring him with you. I don't think this team will go that aggressively for Shreyas Iyer because they will leave him for Delhi," he observed.
Pant, Rahul, and Shreyas Iyer were released by their respective franchises ahead of the auction. The Bengaluru-based franchise could target one of them as a captaincy option if Virat Kohli doesn't want to lead them.
"You can bring Jos Buttler with you" - Aakash Chopra on RCB's potential overseas batting acquisitions
![The Rajasthan Royals released Jos Buttler ahead of the IPL 2025 auction. [P/C: iplt20.com]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2024/11/21ff9-17314811473528-1920.jpg?w=500)
In the same video, Aakash Chopra named Phil Salt and Jos Buttler as potential wicketkeeper-opener options for RCB.
"They will need an opener and a keeper. So you will have two or three options available. You can go after Phil Salt. You can bring Jos Buttler with you. Small ground - Jos Buttler and Virat Kohli - wow. That will be a good pair," he said.
The cricketer-turned-commentator pointed out that RCB need an aggressive opening partner for Virat Kohli.
"Whoever plays with Virat Kohli at the other end needs to be an out-and-out aggressive guy. He should score runs quickly and move the scorecard very fast until he stays. So Phil Salt and Jos Butller, those kind of players excite you more and also give you the wicketkeeping option," Chopra observed.
Chopra opined that RCB might consider reacquiring Glenn Maxwell. He added that the franchise is known for doing things that aren't understandable.