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The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 mega auction is set to take place, and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have decided to retain only three players: Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, and Yash Dayal. Despite having a large fan base and a rich history, RCB is yet to win the IPL title. Last season, they made it to the playoffs, thanks largely to Kohli's individual brilliance, but fell short of the final. This year, RCB aims to build a more balanced squad and reduce its reliance on a few key players. With a significant auction purse of Rs 83 crore, the franchise is poised to make a significant impact at the auction, seeking to win their first IPL championship. Virat Kohli, the team's unique selling point, has been retained for Rs 21 crores. With just three key retentions and a substantial auction budget remaining, RCB is focused on constructing a title-winning team from the ground up through the auction process.

The player's impressive IPL 2024 performance, where he scored 479 runs at an average of 61.75, supports his high retention price. Additionally, Rajat Patidar, who made his IPL debut for RCB in 2021, gained attention by scoring an unbeaten 112 off 54 balls against Lucknow Super Giants in the 2022 IPL eliminator. Despite joining as a replacement player, he ended the 2022 season as the team's third-highest run-scorer, accumulating 333 runs at a strike rate of 152.75. Furthermore, RCB acquired Yash Dayal for Rs 5 crore in the IPL 2024 auction after a bidding battle with Gujarat Titans, and he justified this investment by taking 14 wickets during the season with an impressive economy rate of 9.15, especially considering the dimensions of RCB's home venue, Chinnaswamy Stadium. Retaining him for Rs 4 crore is a beneficial move for the franchise. RCB have the budget to explore a wide range of options in the upcoming auction, including targeting quality Indian wicketkeeper-batting options like KL Rahul or Rishabh Pant, as well as sought-after bowlers such as Trent Boult and their former player, Yuzvendra Chahal.

RCB may strategically re-sign important players like Mohammed Siraj. They could also consider overseas batters such as Jake Fraser-McGurk, Will Jacks, Rachin Ravindra, and Cameron Green to enhance their team.