Ahead of Indian Premier League 2025 season, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) are facing a new challenge.
According to reports, the Karnataka government is pressuring the franchise to include more local talent in their squad.
Currently, RCB has only two players from Karnataka—Vijaykumar Vyshak and Manoj Bhandage. A report by the Times of India suggests that the franchise is under “considerable pressure” from the government to focus on recruiting homegrown players for the upcoming season.
Vyshak and Bhandage could both be bought back in the auction alongside some established names from the state like KL Rahul, Devdutt Padikkal and Prasidh Krishna.
Notably, several IPL franchises, such as Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders, have few or no local players, while Mumbai Indians remain one of the few teams with a strong presence of homegrown talent.
