He’s got a bit of an X-factor - Mo Bobat on RCB signing Satwik Deswal at the IPL 2026 Auction
One of RCB’s targets at the IPL 2026 Auction was to sign a backup wrist spinner for Suyash Sharma, and the think-tank managed to rope in up and coming left-arm wrist spinner Satvik Deswal for his base price of INR 30L.
Deswal grabbed the headlines with his sensational performances in the Pondicherry Premier League T20 this year, where he took 14 wickets in 10 matches and finished as the only bowler with an economy rate under 6 RPO in the whole tournament.
Interestingly, the young spinner has been with RCB as an intern for the last few seasons, and on the back of impressing the coaching staff with his skill and character, earned himself a spot in the Class of 2026.
Speaking on the topic of signing Deswal, RCB’s Director of Cricket, Mo Bobat, shared some interesting insights, including thoughts on why Ravi Bishnoi was not part of their plans.
In a video released on RCB’s social media channels, Mo said, “The wrist spinner that was in the auction was obviously Ravi Bishnoi. We knew there was going to be a number of teams after Ravi. From our perspective, he was never going to be one of our main priority roles, because, as I've mentioned, we had other priorities going into this auction.”
He further added, “And you know you can't get everything, particularly when you've got limited funds. If we would have had a bigger purse, and maybe slightly different other priorities, I think Ravi might have been a target for us. But he wasn't on this occasion.”
Expressing joy on signing Deswal, Mo remarked, “We have managed to secure a wrist spinner backup. To get Satvik is something we're really pleased about. He's a left-arm wrist spinner. We've had him as a net bowler with us in the past, so we know him as a character and a personality well. He's got a bit of X-factor with his bowling, so if required and if for any reason Suyash isn't able to take the field, we're confident we've got someone in Satvik that can come in and really do a job.”
Head coach Andy Flower too shared his two cents on the signing, speaking highly about Deswal’s talent and said, “Satvik we've worked with for a couple of seasons. He is a young guy with tons of talent. He is a left-arm wrist spinner or mystery bowler, however you want to describe him. He's got very high potential as well. He's only young, and he's our backup wrist spinner. We've been watching him. He's played in the Pondicherry team recently, and had good success down there.”
He concluded with a warm welcome for Deswal and said, “Satvik, it's great to have you along, youngster. And we look forward to you getting a chance at some stage.”
