IPL 2024: “We needed to improve at home”- Faf du Plessis explains RCB’s strategy in strengthening bowling unit

Alzarri Joseph at INR 11.50 cr was RCB's most expensive buy in IPL 2024 auction.

Faf du Plessis, captain of Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), opened up about his team's purchases in the current IPL 2024 Auction, saying the team's priority was to select players who would perform well at home.

He also stated that it was a hectic period for him and the think tank because they spent a significant amount of time crafting a detailed plan that allowed them to enter the auction with much more clarity.

RCB had a strong core with the likes of Du Plessis, Virat Kohli, Glenn Maxwell, and Rajat Patidar and they also acquired Cameron Green to strengthen the batting even further. CB’s focused approach in the auction saw them securing more strength in the bowling department.

They went for Alzarri Joseph and bought him for INR 11.50 Cr. He holds the record for the best-ever bowling figures in the IPL of 6/12 and can be a quality option in death overs. They added more speed to their attack by buying New Zealand’s fast bowler Lockie Ferguson (Rs 2 Cr) and England’s Tom Curran (Rs 1.50 Cr).

“After the last season, we felt like we needed to improve at home. One of the things that we did well was to succeed away from Chinnaswamy. So, we went away and put our heads together about what that look like to be better at home and how can we get better, in what ways can we improve? It’s definitely the auction and the process of the last two months has been solely around planning to be better at home and the type of bowlers and batsmen that will be successful at home,” RCB captain Faf du Plessis said after the auction, as quoted by India Today.

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RCB also added Indian left-arm pacer Yash Dayal (Rs 5 Cr) and spin all-rounder Swapnil Singh (Rs 20 lacs) to ensure variation in the bowling attack.

“We spent a lot of time talking about RCB and where we wanted to take the franchise. I think it’s always really important that you do your homework and make sure you look at every area and talk it through. And I feel like our relation, the three of us [head coach Andy Flower and Director of Cricket Mo Bobat], obviously with the help of a lot of the team, Freddie [Wilde] the analyst and [Adam] Griffith the bowling coach, Malolan Rangarajan, (Head of Scouting) and even Rajesh V Menon (VP and Head of RCB), I feel like we are very well-connected leadership group,” he added.

RCB is yet to win an IPL title, despite playing in the finals thrice.