“Gives us a good picture of who we want to pick” - Dinesh Karthik praises RCB’s scouting team

Apart from some seasoned capped player signings at the IPL 2026 Auction, RCB were lauded for also roping in young talent as part of their squad for the upcoming season.

RCB raised the paddle and successfully secured the services of southpaw Vihaan Malhotra, all-rounder Kanishk Chouhan - both of whom are currently a part of India’s squad for the U-19 Asia Cup - as well as left-arm wrist-spinner Satvik Deswal, whose transition from an RCB intern to now being one among 25 players in the squad is a fairytale on its own. They also picked up Maharashtra’s left-arm spinner Vicky Ostwal for his base price, but the biggest signing from an uncapped player perspective was that of Madhya Pradesh’s Mangesh Yadav, who commanded INR 5.2 Cr at the auction.

On an episode of RCB Bold Diaries, Dinesh Karthik heaped praise on the franchise’s scouting system while highlighting how their constant efforts have helped the Royal Challengers land some incredibly talented youngsters who are oozing promise.

DK said, “A lot of credit must go to the scouting unit. Now, RCB have one of the strongest scouting units going around in terms of numbers, and we almost try and watch every match that is played anywhere in India.”

Speaking on RCB’s young talents, DK remarked, “Vihaan Malhotra, Kanishk Chauhan right now are part of the India Under-19 squad and doing phenomenally well. Vihaan Malhotra, a left-hander who can really hit a ball, looks like one ready for the future. Kanishk Chauhan, an exceptional player, bats very well in the middle overs.”

RCB’s mentor and batting coach also reserved special compliments for the entire scouting team, as he quipped, “But the key for me, when I look at them, is how well we've identified them as personalities, what they bring to the table. And as I said before, I've enjoyed the amount of input to the scouts here. It's headed by Malolan (Rangarajan), and he has a group of people working under him, all who have played domestic cricket.”

He further said, “They bring such good, varied, and vast knowledge that it is extremely interesting to see their opinions, at the same time their inputs as to what they're good at, what they can get better at. And that gives us a good picture of who we want to pick.”

DK added a personal touch on the signing of Deswal by saying, "I've watched all these players in action, and I'm quite excited by the young talent, Satvik Deswal. He is a beautiful story of someone who's been part of a pathway. He's been with us as a net bowler for about two years now. I remember I've played him so much in the nets, and I've seen him grow now, do so well in the Pondicherry Premier League, go to the Under-19s, play the Challengers of the Under-19s, and I really feel he's a good talent to watch out for.”

He concluded, “Vihaan and Kanishk will definitely grow into future superstars, there is no doubt. Vicky Ostwal, played the previous U-19 World Cup, has done really well for Maharashtra. I'm looking forward to seeing him in action because he's tall, he feels like a modern-day bowler who understands what it is to do well in T-20 cricket.”