IPL Auction 2022: Faf Du Plessis' 'Leadership Skills' Will Help RCB, Says Coach Sanjay Bangar

IPL Auction 2022: RCB's head coach Sanjay Bangar spoke on length about a lot of new players including Dinesh Karthik, calling him a "finisher".

(File Photo/ Getty Images)

IPL Auction 2022: Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) head coach Sanjay Bangar said that former South African skipper Faf du Plessis "can solidify" RCB's top order and will also help the team with his "leadership skills".

RCB had already retained three players - Virat, Maxwell, and Siraj. Apart from these marquee players, the Bengaluru-based franchise managed to pick some good players in the Auction.

There was a big gap to fill in the RCB line-up, that of AB De Villiers, thus, the franchise looked at options with "diverse experience". Faf du Plessis was a suitable man according to Sanjay Bangar. 

“The addition of Faf du Plessis adds real strength to the batting department. He is a proven performer, a seasoned campaigner and has delivered at the highest levels,” Bangar said in a release from RCB on Monday.

Introducing to you, the #ClassOf2022 ready to #PlayBold!😎🔥

Bring on #IPL2022! 👊🏻#WeAreChallengers #IPLMegaAuction #IPLAuction pic.twitter.com/qcEcna24y8

— Royal Challengers Bangalore (@RCBTweets) February 13, 2022

“We were looking at someone who can solidify our top order and his inclusion into the team solves just that, with diverse experience of playing across formats gives us options, not only in terms of opening the batting line but also with leadership skills," he said about du Plessis.

Bangar also spoke about the two BIG buys: Harshal Patel (Rs 10.75 cr) &Sri Lankan leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga (Rs 10.75 cr).

“Harshal Patel did exceptionally well in the last season and was a natural choice for us to go that mile on the bid. We are very happy to have him and some of our players return to the RCB family and we couldn’t be happy to reinvest in players who we have seen develop over the years.”

“Wanindu Hasaranga is a wrist spinning all-rounder who can bat at 7, and we were looking closely at picking a quality leggie in the spin department. The fact that he can contribute with the bat as well is a great value add," Bangar said.

RCB also managed to buy Australian pacer Josh Hazlewood for Rs 7.75 cr and India wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik for Rs 5.50 cr among others.

"We required a good No. 6 and a finisher, who we have found in Dinesh Karthik," Bangar added.

Bangar said that Josh Hazelwood "brings a wealth of experience in the T20 format."

“We are quite satisfied with our haul at the auctions to form a balanced team. Our plan was to bring stability and at the same time, have variations owing to the changing situations in a T20 tournament,” Bangar said.

“We aimed to have a solid role for each player that we pick along with some back-ups in the same form. We have achieved a well-rounded pool of talents from international and domestic cricket," he concluded.