News Headline
Du Plessis: RCB bolsters bowling at IPL 2024 auction to improve home performance
Mumbai: Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) made strategic acquisitions to successfully achieve optimal team balance at the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 player auction in Dubai on Tuesday.
As RCB executed well-thought-out six bids to shape a strong squad for the upcoming season, skipper Faf du Plessis highlighted that it was a busy time for him and the think tank as they invested a lot of time in developing a comprehensive plan which helped to enter the auction with much more clarity. He said the team’s focus was to pick the players who will perform well at home.
With a strong nucleus already present in the top order with players like Du Plessis, Virat Kohli, Glenn Maxwell and Rajat Patidar, and having acquired services of all-rounder Cameron Green, who adds excellent depth to the batting, RCB’s focussed approach in the auction saw them securing more strength in the bowling department.
West Indian aggressive paceman Alzarri Joseph (Rs 11.50 Cr) became the first buy for RCB at the auction. The 27-year-old 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 further added more speed to their attack by picking up New Zealand’s fast bowler Lockie Ferguson (Rs 2 Cr) and England’s Tom Curran (Rs 1.50 Cr).
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. They bought talented young wicketkeeper Saurav Chauhan (Rs 20 lacs) from Gujarat to complete a 25-member squad. Chauhan made the headlines in the 2023 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy when he smashed 18-ball 61.
Talking about the auction and the selection of players, RCB chairman Prathmesh Mishra said: “RCB is committed to playing a fearless brand of cricket which ranks us among the top global franchises. With the expertise of Mo Bobat and Andy Flower, we aim to foster a bold and dynamic performance culture in the team. The strategic purchases at the auction reflect their meticulous planning and approach. With the strong batting line-up already present, we have now balanced our team with the addition of all-rounders and great bowling options to add fire to the pace unit. Overall, we’ve successfully built a formidable team poised to bring glory in the upcoming season.”
“After the last season, we felt like we needed to improve at home. One of the things that we did really well was to succeed away from Chinnaswamy. So, we went away and put our heads together and 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,” commented Du Plessis.
“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.
Head coach Flower is confident about the bowling attack and hopes they play an important role and also said they have a dangerous batting line-up.
“It’s really a strong top four with Virat [Kohli] and Faf [du Plessis], [Rajat] Patidar and [Glenn] Maxwell. Cameron Green who gives us that power somewhere in that top five. We haven’t decided exactly where he’s going to bat yet, but he gives us that power option somewhere in the top five that is going to be very dangerous. Mohammed Siraj will lead the attack and him being fit and firing is going to be very important. We’ve got some skilful young Indian bowlers there who are going to be growing with us through the season and hopefully playing a really important part for us,” the head coach commented.
RCB Full Squad for IPL 2024:
Retained Players: Faf du Plessis, Glenn Maxwell, Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Anuj Rawat, Dinesh Karthik, Suyash Prabhudessai, Will Jacks, Mahipal Lomror, Karn Sharma, Manoj Bhandage, Mayank Dagar (from SRH), Vijaykumar Vyshak, Akash Deep, Mohammed Siraj, Reece Topley, Himanshu Sharma, Rajan Kumar, Cameron Green (from MI).
New Buys: Alzarri Joseph (Rs 11.50 crore), Yash Dayal (Rs 5 crore), Tom Curran (Rs 1.5 crore), Lockie Ferguson (Rs 2 crore), Swapnil Singh (Rs 20 lakh), Saurav Chauhan (Rs 20 lakh).
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
