IPL 2023 retention: "RCB don't have much money but the team is looking good" - Aakash Chopra

Aakash Chopra believes the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) might not have a big purse remaining for the IPL 2023 auction. However, they have already assembled a squad that covers most of the bases.

The Bangalore-based franchise traded Jason Behrendoff to the Mumbai Indians and released Sherfane Rutherford, Chama Milind, Luvnith Sisodia, and Aneeshwar Gautam from their previous squad. They have ₹8.75 crores in their kitty for the mini-auction on December 23 in Kochi.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra highlighted that the three-time finalists retained most of their players. He said:

"RCB don't have much money but the team is looking good. They have ₹8.75 crore only. They let go of Jason Behrendoff. They have left Sherfane Rutherford and other than that, Chama Milind, Luvnith Sisodia and Aneeshwar Gautam."

The former Indian opener reckons RCB will need an additional seamer for their home surface. He stated:

"They didn't leave any major players, so not much money was made available. They don't need much, let's be fair. They would need a fast bowler because they will play a lot of cricket in Chinnaswamy."

The M Chinnaswamy Stadium is known for its batting-friendly surfaces and short boundaries. Seamers have generally enjoyed greater success on the ground as compared to spinners.

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"They have an option for Faf du Plessis in the form of Finn Allen" - Aakash Chopra on RCB's top order

Finn Allen played a destructive knock for New Zealand against Australia in the T20 World Cup.

Chopra feels Faf du Plessis' side is more or less covered in the batting department. He explained:

"At the top of the order, they have an option for Faf du Plessis in the form of Finn Allen. It is good if they get someone in the lower middle order, if not, they get the job done from Dinesh Karthik and Glenn Maxwell."

The renowned commentator reiterated that RCB needs to bolster their seam-bowling department. He elaborated:

"They don't have too much money, so won't be able to shop much. I still feel they should strengthen their fast bowling even further because at this point in time they have Aakash Deep, David Willey - I am not certain about the Chinnaswamy ground, Harshal Patel, Josh Hazlewood, Mohammed Siraj and Siddharth Kaul."

Chopra added that the franchise might want to keep a replacement for Josh Hazlewood. He was unsure of the Australian pacer's full-time availability, considering 2023 is an Ashes and ODI World Cup year.