Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) has finally disclosed the reasoning behind their decision to release star fast bowler Mohammed Siraj before the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 mega auction. Mo Bobat, RCB’s Director of Cricket, shed light on the strategy behind the move. Siraj was with RCB for seven years and had a commendable performance record. He is now a part of the Gujarat Titans team.
RCB’s Director of Cricket, Mo Bobat, explained that RCB aimed to create a balanced and robust bowling lineup that could be effective in different conditions. He mentioned the desire to include Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the team, considering his experience and skill in swing bowling, which were crucial for RCB’s strategy. Bobat clarified that retaining Siraj would have made it difficult to acquire Bhuvneshwar, as balancing the budget and player priorities was essential during the auction.
Speaking to Cricbuzz, Bobat stated, ‘Siraj was perhaps the player we thought about the most. Indian international bowlers are not easily found. We discussed every possible scenario with Siraj, whether to retain him, release him, or use the right-to-match. It was not a straightforward decision. We were trying to bring in Bhui at both ends of the innings. Keeping Siraj in the team would have made this difficult. There isn’t one single reason, many factors played a role.’
Additionally, Bobat also revealed that Australian all-rounder Cameron Green was not retained solely due to injury. He said, ‘If he was fit, we would have almost certainly retained him.’