"They will break the bank" - Aakash Chopra expects RCB to go all out in IPL 2024 auction for one among Starc, Coetzee and Cummins
Aakash Chopra expects the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) to spend a huge amount to acquire one among Mitchell Starc, Gerald Coetzee and Pat Cummins at the IPL 2024 auction.
The Bangalore-based franchise released Josh Hazlewood, David Willey and Wayne Parnell ahead of the auction and has Reece Topley as the only overseas pacer in their squad. They have a remaining purse of ₹23.25 crore and can buy a maximum of six players, including three foreigners.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra opined that the Royal Challengers Bangalore would be willing to pay a hefty sum to buy one among Starc, Coetzee and Cummins. He said (3:05):
"Which bowlers will they go towards? Because they have money, I feel they will break the bank. They need one big bowler. The three options available are Mitchell Starc, Gerald Coetzee and Pat Cummins."
While expecting RCB to acquire one of the trio, the former Indian opener added that they might have to pay an exorbitant price:
"They will go all out for one of those three. Three teams will go absolutely all-out. One is Chennai (CSK), the second is KKR and the third is RCB.
"So you can find those three fast bowlers between these three teams. Any of those three could land in the Bangalore team but it will come at a huge cost."
Apart from the aforementioned franchises, most other teams would also be looking for quality overseas pacers. The Gujarat Titans, who have a remaining purse of a whopping ₹38.15 crore and have only Joshua Little as an overseas seamer, might want to buy a big-ticket foreign pacer.
"The Wanindu Hasaranga dream will remain a dream" - Aakash Chopra says RCB's hands will be tied if they buy a pacer at a huge price
Aakash Chopra pointed out that the Royal Challengers Bangalore won't have the option to reacquire Wanindu Hasaranga, if they wish to do so, if they buy a pacer at an exorbitant amount (3:45):
"We did a mock auction on Jio, and it seemed like the fast bowlers could even go for 16-17 crores. If it goes till there, you won't have much money left. Then the Wanindu Hasaranga dream will remain a dream as you won't even have five to six crores to spend."
The cricketer-turned-commentator added that spending a huge sum on one player could compromise RCB's balance:
"Then suddenly your hands will be tied. Out of the 23.25 crores you have, if you give 17 crores to one player, you won't be able to make a team because you let a lot of players go."
Chopra reckons the three-time finalists might even want to reacquire Harshal Patel at a cheaper price. However, he feels they won't be able to do so, reasoning that Harshal and Shardul Thakur would be the two most expensive Indian seamers.