Indeed, the Royal Challengers Bangalore have for many years been one of the most glamorous sides in the IPL, with an array of world-class batsmen to annihilate any attack on its day. Conversely, that is the flip side of things; they have been perennially struggling to develop a complete and balanced bowling set-up to restrain the rival teams consistently. At the IPL auction held in 2025, RCB made some interesting moves to address the problem of a bowling attack as it hired the experience of Indian fast bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar and the speedster Josh Hazlewood of Australia to form their overseas fast bowling. While both are established performers at the highest level, there is a pretty good case to be made that RCB would have been better served had they considered three other bowlers who could have more acutely addressed their needs: Trent Boult, Deepak Chahar, and Jofra Archer. Also Read | Top 10 Unsold Players Deserving Bids in IPL 2025 Trent Boult - The Seasoned Swingman Image Source : BCCI Though not a glaring weakness over the years, RCB has lacked a quality left arm seamer who can offer variation up front. And with Trent Boult-a seasoned New Zealand international-being available in the auction, the void would have been perfectly filled. Boult can swing the new ball both ways, which makes him a constant threat for the opposing batsmen, especially in the PowerPlay overs. He has picked up wickets in the first six overs of the last five IPL seasons at an economy rate of just 7.37. That shows his skill in exploiting helpful conditions upfront and setting the tone for the rest of the innings. In addition, the experience of playing in the IPL with Mumbai Indians would have helped RCB a lot. It is well known that the player has a great track record of delivering under pressure as well as match-winning spells. Boult's economy rate in his IPL career, which is 8.29, is also impressive and indicates reliability by maintaining tight lines and lengths. Beyond his wicket-taking skills, Boult's composure and maturity would have given a lot to RCB's bowling as their bowlers more often than not lose the thread, letting runs through at vital moments. Boult could be a tight-liner with length, something RCB badly needed to arrest runs and create pressure on the other side. Deepak Chahar - The Cutting Edge Seamer Image Source : BCCI Another area of concern for RCB has been their lack of an effective seam bowler who can exploit the conditions and provide early breakthroughs. In Deepak Chahar, they would have found the perfect man for the job. Chahar's ability to generate the ball both ways and extract disconcerting bounce makes him a potent threat with the new ball. His skills are apt for the flat, batting-friendly pitches of the IPL where he can trouble batters with his ability to generate swing and seam movement. In the last three IPL seasons, Chahar has managed to pick up 32 wickets in powerplay. It is the third-highest figure in the league, and his first six-over economy rate stands at a highly commendable 7.98, suggesting that even while having an attacking ability, he can control his line and length rather well. Apart from these, Chahar's cricketing intelligence and adaptability would have been great value addition for RCB. The ability to change his length and variations according to the condition of the wicket and the opponent batter makes him a great value in the game across its timeline. The knowledge Chahar has gained playing for the Chennai Super Kings would have helped as a stepping stone for RCB to understand the conditions and tactics necessary to be successful in an IPL match. The pressure of playing for such a high-profile franchise could have been an important contributing factor for RCB's bowling unit. Jofra Archer - The X-Factor Pacer Image Source : BCCI While Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood are experienced campaigners, RCB may have done better to rope in the dynamic Jofra Archer as their overseas fast bowling option. Archer is the kind of bowler with raw pace, accuracy, and capability of creating steep bounce-the absolute X-factor in T20 format. His consistent capability of reaching 145 km/hr speed plus his skillful knack to derive disorienting bounce even from flattest pitches would have really had a difference to RCB bowling arsenal. Additionally, Archer's ability to bowl yorkers and slower deliveries at the death makes him a very valuable asset in the final overs of an innings. That's an area where RCB have struggled, with the bowlers in the past having a hard time handling pressure. Besides his tactical prowess, the fighting spirit of Archer and his mentality for coming up trumps in big-match situations would have suited the high-pressure environment of RCB. Besides his tactical capability, Archer's winning mentality and competitive groove would have suited RCB's high-pressure environment very well. He has shown time and again that on the biggest occasions, he is capable of coming up with performances that change the outcome of matches, and this would have encouraged the rest of the bowling unit to raise their cricketing skills. Crucially, the experience of playing franchise cricket in the IPL, the Hundred, or other leagues around the world would have been an immense treasury of knowledge that RCB could have shared with the bowling unit. Besides his exposure to differing conditions and tactics, he would have been a major plus. Also Read | Likely Opening Pairs for All 10 Teams in IPL 2025 Conclusion While Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood are no doubt good bowlers with some impressive records, RCB would have been better off if they had taken Trent Boult, Deepak Chahar, and Jofra Archer into consideration as their overseas fast bowling options for the 2025 season of IPL. Maybe it is Boult's new ball swing, prickly seam bowling, and raw pace with an X-factor from Archer, which might have probably filled in some spots that were lacking in the RCB's bowling unit. Boult's vast IPL experience with the Mumbai Indians, Chahar's first-hand knowledge of conditions through his stint with the Chennai Super Kings, and Archer's broad knowledge based on his T20 league travels could have also added inestimably to RCB's bowling unit. High-pressure games, such as IPL, have such thin margins that deciding matches often boils down to these thin margins; it ultimately boils down to the questions of the right style of bowling, experience, and killing mentality. While there is no doubt that Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood are quality operators, RCB would benefit from checking out other options that could complement their batting power and take the team to the new high.