WPL 2024: RCB aiming to secure strong squad in player auction, says head coach Luke Williams
Under the leadership of Smriti Mandhana, Royal Challengers Bangalore had a forgettable first season, losing six of their eight matches.
Mumbai: Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) will know exactly when and where to raise the paddle at the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2024 Player Auction in Mumbai on Saturday as head coach Luke Williams expressed confidence over his team’s preparations and extensive planning for the crucial event. Williams, one of the world’s most successful coaches who has won the Women’s Big Bash League and Women’s Hundred Championship titles in the past, is excited about the auction and aims to build a strong squad for the coming season.
“We spent a lot of time organizing and feel like we’ve gone through all the different combinations and possibilities. I’m so excited to see what happens,” Williams said ahead of the auction.
“I think there are tons of them, but we’ve probably found four or five different main possibilities as to how we think it’s going to work out. “But again, auctions can be unpredictable, so we continue to think of left-wing ideas that could happen, but we feel very comfortable with our plans and look forward to the auction,” he added.
Under the leadership of Smriti Mandhana, RCB did not have a great first season, losing six of the eight matches played. They were also the first team to withdraw from playoff contention. RCB has some of the best players in the world namely Mandhana, Sophie Devine, Ellyse Perry, etc.
With seven slots to fill and Rs 3.35 crore in the bag, RCB will look to add more local and foreign talent to the auction. “With five players in RCB’s Indian side recently, it is a very good core of Indian players.
“We have some really exciting foreign talent and want to expand our selection at the auction to include both foreign and local talent. So I think we have a very strong team looking forward to the coming season,” Williams said as he prepared for his first auction.