Bowling wins you tournaments - Malolan Rangarajan explains RCB’s blueprint the WPL 2026 Mega Auction

RCB added a plethora of experience to the bowling unit at the WPL 2026 Mega Auction, signing the likes of India internationals in Radha Yadav, Arundhati Reddy and Pooja Vastrakar.

Lauren Bell and Linsey Smith headlined the picks from an overseas bowlers’ front, while the acquisition of Grace Harris and Nadine de Klerk will provide quality depth from an all-rounders’ perspective.

On Episode 1: Nailing the strategy: Principles Structure and Combinations of the WPL Auction planning video series released on RCB’s social media platforms, Head Coach Malolan Rangarajan is seen laying down explainers on why the think-tank focussed on signing quality bowlers, with a firm foundation of batters in place through the retentions.

Malolan said, “My initial hunch is, after having spent so much money on our batting already, my instinct tells me that our auction plan should be around recruiting the best bowling attacks. And if we're able to find batting options within that, it'll be great.”

Turning the clock back to RCB’s title wins, he added, “Rajesh (Menon) said one of cricket's best clichés, but I do agree with it. Bowling wins you tournaments, and it's a fact. We won the WPL in 2024, courtesy bowling. We won the IPL last year, courtesy a mix, but bowling played a huge part.”

He continued, “We should continue looking for a balanced bowling attack. Three pace and three spin is a worthy compromise for us. I keep saying compromise, I don't know if the batters come through, it's not going to be a compromise, but we're going to be playing in DY (Patil Stadium).”

Shedding some light on how prior experience of playing at the DY Patil factored in, Malo quipped, “It is very evident, data and whatever we played there, very evident that you need to have three bowling pace options. Speaking to Smriti, she's also very aligned on that, that she would like to have both skills at her disposal, be it pace or spin.”

Malolan also offered crucial insight into skipper Smriti Mandhana’s thoughts on beefing up the bowling attack, as he said, “Last year she felt like she had decent pace but not enough spin, and the year prior to that she had decent spin but not enough pace. Independent of these numbers which are evident, with the boundaries and sixes increasing, I genuinely believe we should look to recruit players who have power.”

He further added, “So if there's one compromise we kind of make is on the batting, and the compromise might be just in terms of names. You obviously prefer having a gun Indian opener, an overseas opener, a packed middle order, with all-rounders in it.”

Malolan laid down his preferences while quoting Smriti and remarked, “But if it is that or pick 16 quality overs, I know what I'm leaning towards. And again, speaking to Smriti, and these are her words, and I am very glad she said it. She said, “you paid us eight crores”, us meaning the three batters. “I think it's unfair for us to then try to plan on spending a lot more on batting.”

He concluded on the topic and said, “She's very aligned to our philosophy on spending as much as we can on bowling. Her perception of batting with depth I think comes from people like Radha, Sajana, Hema, just to name a few players, which I agree with.”