Bengaluru, Feb 14 (IANS): Sanjay Bangar, the head coach of Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), was quite satisfied with the players they picked at the 2022 IPL Mega Auction to create a balanced side. He added that the addition of South Africa batter Faf du Plessis will be advantageous for the batting department.

Veteran batter Du Plessis was among the 19 buys made by the franchise alongside Harshal Patel, Wanindu Hasaranga and Josh Hazlewood to be in RCB's star-studded line-up for the 2022 IPL season.

"We are quite satisfied with our haul at the auctions to form a balanced team. Our plan was to bring stability and at the same time, have variations owing to the changing situations in a T20 tournament. We aimed to have a solid role for each player that we pick along with some back-ups in the same form. We have achieved a well-rounded pool of talents from international and domestic cricket," said Bangar in a release.

Talking about du Plessis's acquisition, Bangar remarked, "The addition of Faf du Plessis adds real strength to the batting department. He is a proven performer, a seasoned campaigner and has delivered at the highest levels. We were looking at someone who can solidify our top order and his inclusion into the team solves just that, with diverse experience of playing across formats gives us options, not only in terms of opening the batting line but also with leadership skills."

Bangar was also impressed in buying Hazlewood, who played a pivotal role in Australia winning the Men's T20 World Cup in the UAE last year.

"Josh Hazelwood brings a great arch to the bowling department. He has been in the circuit for quite some time, showing us every time what he does the best and brings a wealth of experience in the T20 format."

Speaking on other picks like Hasaranga, Patel and Karthik, Bangar pointed out the value the trio brings in to the RCB fold. "Wanindu Hasaranga is a wrist spinning all-rounder who can bat at 7, and we were looking closely at picking a quality leggie in the spin department. The fact that he can contribute with the bat as well is a great value add. We required a good No. 6 and a finisher, who we have found in Dinesh Karthik.

"Harshal Patel did exceptionally well in the last season and was a natural choice for us to go that mile on the bid. We are very happy to have him and some of our players return to the RCB family and we couldn't be happy to reinvest in players who we have seen develop over the years. We are now eagerly awaiting the start of our preparations with these talents and get onto the real execution on the field for an exciting season ahead."