Former South African captain and legendary batter AB de Villiers, who was with the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) from 2011 to 2021, has called on the Bengaluru-based IPL franchise to pursue Indian spinners Yuzvendra Chahal and Ravichandran Ashwin, as well as pacers Bhuvneshwar Kumar and South African fast bowler Kagiso Rabada, in the upcoming IPL 2025 mega auction. The auction is scheduled to be held in Jeddah on November 24 and 25.
RCB will enter the auction with a budget of ₹83 crore, following the retention of star player Virat Kohli for ₹21 crore, Rajat Patidar for ₹11 crore, and Yash Dayal for ₹5 crore.
Chahal and Ashwin, who were part of the Rajasthan Royals squad from 2022 to 2024, were released ahead of the 2025 season. Similarly, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who played for Sunrisers Hyderabad, and Kagiso Rabada, who represented Punjab Kings in 2024, were also let go by their respective franchises.
AB de Villiers believes these four experienced players would be valuable assets for RCB at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, praising them as “very smart cricketers” who can excel under challenging conditions.
