“Retaining Mohammed Siraj would have complicated things…” – RCB’s Mo Bobat explains why the franchise let go of the India pacer.
orangeevaPosted on August 24, 2025 by Eva
24
Aug
RCB Parts Ways with Mohammed Siraj Ahead of IPL 2025 Mega Auction. Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) Director of Cricket, Mo Bobat, has finally addressed the team’s decision to release Mohammed Siraj ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. Earlier this year, RCB ended an 18-year wait to win their maiden IPL title, defeating Punjab Kings (PBKS) in a memorable final.
Ahead of the new season, the franchise made significant changes to their squad. They retained Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, and Yash Dayal, with Patidar being appointed the team’s new captain.
However, in a move that surprised many fans, RCB chose not to retain Mohammed Sirajj. The right-arm pacer, who had been with the team since IPL 2018 and had been consistently retained over the years, was not only released but also went unbid in the mega auction.
Mo Bobat Explains Why RCB Released Mohammed Siraj
In an interview with Cricbuzz, RCB Director of Cricket Mo Bobat discussed the team’s decision not to retain Mohammed Siraj ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction. He revealed that the management had lengthy discussions regarding Siraj, but several factors ultimately led to his release. One key consideration was their strong interest in acquiring Bhuvneshwar Kumar at the auction, which made retaining Siraj challenging.
“Mohammed Siraj is probably the player we spent the most time deliberating over. Indian international bowlers are not easy to come by. We weighed every option—whether to retain him, release him, or use the Right to Match. It was not a straightforward decision,” Bobat said.
He added, “We were keen on bringing in Bhuvi to bowl at both ends of the innings. Retaining Mohammed Siraj would have made that difficult. There’s never just one reason; multiple factors come into play.”
At the IPL 2025 mega auction, RCB secured Josh Hazlewood for ₹12.50 crores and Bhuvneshwar Kumar for ₹10.75 crores, while Siraj was bought by Gujarat Titans (GT) for ₹12.25 crores.
Hazlewood was the team’s highest wicket-taker, claiming 22 wickets in 12 matches, while Bhuvneshwar took 17 wickets in 14 games. Siraj, representing GT, picked up 15 wickets in 14 matches with an economy rate of 9.24.
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