Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) head coach Malolan Rangarajan acknowledged on 28 October that the defending Women's Premier League (WPL) champions would have preferred to re-sign Sophie Molineux at the WPL 2027 auction, but expressed confidence that securing fellow Australian left-arm spin-bowling all-rounder Jess Jonassen would still strengthen the side. RCB ultimately acquired four of the five players they targeted across the auction.

The Molineux bid and how Jonassen emerged

RCB pushed hard for Sophie Molineux — a member of their WPL 2024 title-winning squad — taking the bidding to ₹1.05 crore before UP Warriorz secured her at ₹1.10 crore. Rather than overpay, RCB held their nerve and waited until the accelerated round, picking up Jonassen at her base price of ₹40 lakh.

'I think we bid for five players, got four. But it was pretty simple and clear for us. The intention with which we approached this auction was to try to improve our team. We, I think, for lack of a better phrase, tried to throw the kitchen sink at Sophie Molineux. We would have loved to have her. Everybody knows how good a cricketer she is,' Rangarajan said at a post-auction press conference.

He added that Jonassen — referred to as 'JJ' — had ranked highly on RCB's internal priority list all along. 'A similar left-arm spinner who also gives us depth with batting was JJ, who was very high on our ranking list also. It just so worked out that JJ came later in the auction. So it worked out,' he said.

Patient strategy from sets two to eleven

Rangarajan revealed that after the second set of the auction, RCB deliberately held back. The side already had Prathyoosha as their backup wicketkeeper and were hunting for an additional Indian batter — a target that went unmet when the batters they had earmarked were unsold. That patience ultimately allowed them to circle back and tick off their primary overseas left-arm spinner requirement.

'That meant after the second set, all the way down to the 11th set, we just had to sit tight,' he said, adding that the squad's shape now gave him genuine satisfaction.

Tryon, Hasabnis and the surprise addition of Vrinda Dinesh

Beyond Jonassen, RCB added South Africa batting all-rounder Chloe Tryon and India batter Tejal Hasabnis at ₹30 lakh each, as well as opener Vrinda Dinesh at ₹10 lakh. Rangarajan described Tryon as an experienced franchise-circuit performer who could slot in anywhere between positions four and seven, with the added utility of left-arm spin.

'Very happy. Chloe Tryon is obviously a very experienced international player. She's now, I think, playing a lot of franchise leagues, also doing well. She just strengthens our squad currently with somebody who gives us depth with batting at maybe anywhere between four and seven,' Rangarajan said.

The coach reserved particular enthusiasm for Bengaluru-born Vrinda, calling the signing a pleasant surprise. 'I'll be very honest. I didn't expect to end up with Vrinda. We're very, very happy that we've been able to bring a Karnataka-born player into the squad. She's been doing exceptionally well for India A. So as soon as we saw an opportunity to bring her into the team, we ensured that was taken across the line,' he said.

What RCB's updated squad looks like

With the additions, RCB now blend proven WPL experience — a quality Rangarajan highlighted as a deliberate selection criterion — with emerging Indian talent in Hasabnis and Vrinda, both of whom have recently represented India at senior level. The side enters the WPL 2027 season as defending champions with a squad Rangarajan believes is incrementally stronger than the one that lifted the title.