Ahead of the IPL 2026 mini-auction, former cricketer Aakash Chopra made a funny comment on Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) releasing young batsmen. swastika gazelleKnown to be one of Virat Kohli's biggest fans in the RCB camp last season, Chikara's presence at the team's behind-the-scenes moments became a talking point among fans, With RCB announcing the list of retained and released players, Chopra said that Chikara will no longer be seen in Kohli's pictures,
RCB entered IPL 2026 as the defending champions, after a wait of 17 years to finally win their first IPL trophy in 2025. With a balanced lineup and good performances from most of their core players last season, the franchise has opted to stick with their match-winners. They retained 17 players including Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Devdutt Padikkal, Josh Hazlewood, Yash Dayal and Tim David. Head coach Andy Flower said the team did not feel the need for major changes and was comfortable maintaining a strong core.
However, the most talked about name among the seven players released was Chikara's, especially due to his off-field presence during the 2025 season. This young player was selected by RCB in IPL 2025 for Rs 30 lakh, but he did not get a single chance to join the playing eleven. Nevertheless, he made headlines due to his presence around Kohli throughout the campaign.
Fans would often see him curiously following the Indian superstar during practice sessions, team photos and post-match celebrations. His admiration for the great man of modern times became an internal meme. Aakash Chopra addressed RCB's retention plans on his YouTube channel and talked about the release of the young player.
“RCB has released Swastik Chikara so he will no longer be seen in Kohli's pictures. They don't need more players. The team has won. Who will replace the team that has won?” He said.
Along with him, the team included many big names like Mayank Agarwal, Liam Livingstone, Lungi Ngidi, Manoj Bhandage, Blessing Muzarabani and Mohit Rathi. The defending champions now enter the auction with a purse of Rs 16.40 crore and eight available slots, including two for overseas players.
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