‘Virat Kohli… Same as MS Dhoni’: RCB Tipped to Retain Batting Superstar But Doubts Remain Over Captain Faf du Plessis

Virat Kohli has represented RCB since the inaugural season. (AFP)

Ajay Jadeja predicts Royal Challengers Bengaluru to be ‘judicious’ with their retentions as Aakash Chopra questions the future of Faf du Plessis.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) will be ‘judicious’ with their retentions ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) mega auction, according to experts Ajay Jadeja and Aakash Chopra.

As per the retention rules, laid out by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), “The first retention will cost Rs 18 crore followed by second retention of Rs 14 crore and third retention of Rs 11 crore.

However, if a franchise opts for fourth and fifth retention, they will again have to pay Rs 18 crore and Rs 14 crore respectively.”

With Virat Kohli being an almost certainty for being retained by RCB, IPL expert Aakash Chopra, speaking exclusively on JioCinema, opened up on the possibility of RCB dropping Faf du Plessis.

“I don’t think they’ll be able to retain their captain. It’s not about his ability; it’s about his age. When you’re talking about a mega auction, it’s for the next three seasons. You have to question if Faf will be a part of this franchise for three more years, and I personally don’t think that’s likely. He’s a very active cricketer, but he’s not excelling in the CPL right now. All good stories come to an end,” he said.

Ajay Jadeja, speaking exclusively on JioCinema, said RCB will be judicious with their retentions.

“We don’t even need to discuss Virat Kohli; it’s the same as (MS) Dhoni. I favour Rajat Patidar, whether it’s his style or his role in RCB’s revival. He’s the future. In the 4 CR range, you have Anuj Rawat, who has played well alongside Patidar. Wicketkeeper-batsmen are rare commodities, especially of high quality,” he said.

“In terms of overseas players, I think they like changing players and styles every year. I think they’re going to retain a total of two or three players. I believe retaining Mohammed Siraj and Yash Dayal will be an emotional decision. If the backend remains the same, then there is a chance that Dayal gets picked before Siraj. If not, then the new personnel in charge will look at starting from scratch. So, due to the RTM, I think not as many players will get retained,” he added.