Former Indian fast bowler Venkatesh Prasad has raised concerns about Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) strategy regarding local talent recruitment and retention.
RCB are set to begin their IPL 2025 season against Kolkata Knight Riders on March 22 at Eden Gardens, Kolkata.
The team currently has two Karnataka players – Manoj Bhandage, who hasn’t played since joining in 2023, and Devdutt Padikkal, who returned to RCB for his base price of Rs 2 crores after stints with Rajasthan Royals and Lucknow Super Giants.
Several Karnataka cricketers like Anil Kumble, Robin Uthappa, Manish Pandey, KL Rahul, and Mayank Agarwal have represented RCB previously. The team’s success has largely depended on Virat Kohli and international players like Chris Gayle, AB de Villiers, Faf Du Plessis, and Glenn Maxwell, unlike other IPL teams that feature local players as their brand ambassadors.
Speaking on JioHotstar about RCB’s management, Venkatesh said, “How a team is managed makes all the difference. Other teams are putting faith in local talent, so why is not RCB doing the same? Are they building a brand, or are they truly focused on winning the IPL? They need to get the best out of their players, which has not happened so far.”
RCB’s previous season saw a remarkable turnaround when they reached the playoffs after winning only one of their first eight matches, followed by six consecutive victories.
“Everyone wrote them off at the start, but I picked them to win. People laughed at me, but you saw how far they came,” stated Former Australian pacer Brett Lee on JioHotstar.
Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra shared his thoughts: “They fought their way back, and that was reflected in their performances. Some seasons leave you wondering whether the glass was half full or half empty. At first, it felt empty–like there was no hope. But by the end, it was overflowing with emotions. They may not have won the trophy, but they will look back at this season with immense pride.”