Royal Challengers Bangalore: Three Karnataka players RCB can sign in the IPL auction

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The IPL 2023 auction is around the corner as it takes place on December 23 in Kochi. Royal Challengers Bangalore go to the auction with the intention to cover some bases.

The Bangalore outfit are yet to win the IPL and will be aiming to get their hands on the trophy next year. They released just 4 players ahead of the auction.

Aneeshwar Goutam, Chama Milind, Luvnith Sisodia and Sherfane Rutherford were released while Jason Behrendorff was traded out to Mumbai Indians.

Karnataka Players in the IPL 2023 Auction:

A total of 16 Karnataka players will be going under the hammer in the upcoming auction. And today we shall take a look at three names that may interest Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Throughout the years, many home-state players have donned the RCB jersey - Robin Uthappa, Manish Pandey, KL Rahul, Devdutt Padikkal are among the names. But the RCB side have no Karnataka players so far in their squad for the upcoming season.

They have 18 players already in their squad and this auction will be mostly fine-tuning their group. With a limited budget of INR 8.75 crore and 7 slots to fill, RCB are expected to have a not-so-busy auction in Kochi.

But they can still make some decent additions to their squad, and some talented Karnataka players' names can bolster them further as they vie for the IPL glory next year. Here are the names-

1. Vasuki Koushik

Base Price: 20 Lakh

Role: Right Arm Fast Medium Bowler

Age: 30

Why Vasuki Koushik?

Vasuki Koushik has had a breakthrough season with Karnataka this year. The pacer was one of the best bowlers in the recently concluded Vijay Hazare Trophy, picking up joint most wickets in the tournament with 18 scalps to his name. He was also the most economical bowler in the tournament, conceding just 2.71 runs per over. The skiddy pacer can be a decent addition to the RCB ranks. They do have the likes of Akash Deep and Siddharth Kaul in the squad as a backup for Harshal Patel and Mohammed Siraj, but Koushik can be another option as well.

2. Manoj Bhandage

Base Price: 20 Lakh

Role: Batting All-Rounder

Age: 24

Why Manoj Bhandage?

Manoj Bhandage has been one of the dashers for Karnataka this season. He has batted at no. 7 for them in both T20 and ODI formats and has played some decent knocks. He is a hard-hitting batter, who can also bowl decent medium pace if needed. The 24-year-old Raichur-born player can be a handy addition to the RCB squad. His ability to score runs quickly in the middle order is an added incentive as the multifaceted player can add depth to the RCB squad.

3. Jagadeesha Suchith

Base Price: 20 Lakhs

Role: Left-Arm Spinner

Age: 28

Why Jagadeesha Suchith?

Jagadeesha Suchith is a familiar name in IPL cricket. He has been part of the Mumbai Indians, Sunrisers Hyderabad squad before. The left-arm spinner has an uncanny knack for wickets and can be a decent backup for Shahbaz Ahmed.

He has played loads of cricket at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, which will be an added bonus for him if he is roped in by RCB. Suchith can also use the long handle as he has the fastest fifty under his belt in the Karnataka Premier League. He has been mostly a squad player for his previous IPL teams, and can play a similar role for his home state franchise.