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Aakash Chopra and Bangalore (Source - Twitter)
The Bangalore-based franchise went into the Indian T20 League 2023 mini-auction in Kochi on Friday, December 23, with a remaining purse of INR 8.75 crores. They signed seven players, to make a full-strength 25-member squad, including two overseas players Reece Topley and Will Jacks.
Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra analyzed Bangalore's mindset in the auction. He also tried to address their middle-order issues through acquisitions at the 2023 auction but couldn't do so due to a limited available purse.
"They went searching for a middle-order batter and because of that, they went after Harry Brook, Mayank Agarwal, Sam Curran, Cameron Green, Ben Stokes, and Manish Pandey. They couldn't take any of them because they had only 8.75 crores. You won't even get their shadows with that much money," said Chopra on his YouTube channel.
"They are extremely expensive players, so how will you buy them? They had less money because the team is looking good. There was no need or scope for many changes. This team has openers in the form of Faf du Plessis, Virat Kohli, Finn Allen, and Anuj Rawat," he added.
This is not the right kind of middle order: Dinesh Karthik
Aakash talked about the Faf du Plessis-led team and said that they focused on keeping some all-rounders. He also talked about the possible playing XI of the team in the upcoming season of the cash-rich league and said that their middle order is not the right kind of lineup.
"They have two middle-order batters in the form of Rajat Patidar and Suyash Prabhudessai and wicketkeepers in the form of Dinesh Karthik and Anuj Rawat. They have kept quite a few all-rounders - Glenn Maxwell, Shahbaz Ahmed, Mahipal Lomror, Wanindu Hasaranga, Will Jacks, Manoj Bandage, and Sonu Yadav," noted Chopra.
"If we talk about the XI - former captain Virat Kohli with Faf du Plessis, then Rajat Patidar, Glenn Maxwell, Shahbaz Ahmed, Mahipal Lomror, Dinesh Karthik. When I say this, every time I feel that Maxwell is mercurial, and then Shahbaz Ahmed, Mahipal Lomror, Dinesh Karthik - not the right kind of middle order," he concluded.