Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) decided to part ways with Mohammed Siraj and Glenn Maxwell during the IPL mega auction in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. However, they did manage to snag some solid players like Josh Hazlewood, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Phil Salt, Liam Livingstone, and Krunal Pandya. Still, there's some uncertainty about who will take the captaincy for IPL 2025.

RCB's Team Director, Mo Bobat, shared Virat Kohli's thoughts on the new squad they put together at the auction. On the first day of the auction, Robin Uthappa and Eoin Morgan voiced their concerns, expressing surprise that RCB didn’t go all out to secure big names like KL Rahul or Rishabh Pant.

I've been chatting with him pretty regularly since the end of the 2024 season. We're lucky that Virat spends a lot of time in the UK, which has allowed us to meet up in person and have some good talks with him, me, and Andy, Mo Bobat shared with ESPNcricinfo.

We were all on the same page about the kind of players and discipline we wanted, focusing on building a solid Indian core and those special skills needed for Chinnaswamy. This made our retention decisions pretty straightforward. Even on auction days, he was right there with us at the table, especially connecting with DK, he mentioned.

Our goal is to win the IPL.

RCB still hasn't clinched the IPL title, not even once. They came really close in 2016 when they made it to the final, but unfortunately, Virat Kohli and the team suffered a tough loss to SunRisers Hyderabad.

Over the years, the franchise has faced a lot of flak for not putting together a strong enough squad during the auctions. While RCB has built a pretty solid batting lineup in recent seasons, their bowling has often let them down.

The short boundaries at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, combined with a lack of top-notch bowlers, have made it hard for RCB to gain a real home advantage in Bengaluru.

Our main goal is to win the IPL, but what really drives us is how we play the game. We’re focused on establishing our competitive identity, and if we nail that, everything else will fall into place. The real test will come when we hit the competition, but to change the outcome, we need to change our approach, Mo Bobat shared.

"I really enjoy playing at Chinnaswamy. It adds an extra layer of excitement: can we succeed despite the challenges? It’s thrilling," he continued.

On the decision to bring in Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, the RCB Team Director mentioned, "Reflecting on last year, we realized the importance of taking early wickets to gain an advantage. Having skilled bowlers for every phase of the game is crucial, especially with the new ball and during the final overs."

"Plus, it’s essential to have bowlers who can handle the pressure at Chinnaswamy. Both Bhuvi and Josh Hazlewood are really effective with the new ball and can perform well throughout all phases, including the death overs," he added.

Read Also: Ravichandran Ashwin responds to Virat Kohli's heartfelt post, saying, "I'll be walking out to bat with you at the MCG."

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