Following the release of Mohammed Siraj from Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) before the IPL 2025 mega auction, RCB’s Director of Cricket, Mo Bobat, has explained the team’s strategy. Siraj, who spent seven years with RCB and had a successful track record, is now playing for Gujarat Titans.
Mo Bobat stated that RCB aimed to create a balanced and powerful bowling unit, capable of performing well in varied match conditions. He explained the intention to bring Bhuvneshwar Kumar into the team, valuing his experience and skill in swing bowling for RCB’s tactics. Bobat clarified that retaining Siraj would have complicated the team’s efforts to secure Bhuvneshwar, given the need to manage the budget and prioritize players during the auction.
In an interview with Cricbuzz, Bobat said, ‘Siraj was perhaps the player we spent the most time considering. It’s not easy to find Indian international bowlers. We explored all scenarios with Siraj, including retaining him, releasing him, or using the Right to Match option. It was not a straightforward decision. We were aiming to utilize Bhui at both ends of the innings. Keeping Siraj would have made that harder. No single factor led to this; many elements were considered.’
Additionally, Bobat revealed that Cameron Green, the Australian all-rounder, was not retained solely due to injury. He noted, ‘Had he been fit, we would have almost certainly retained him.’