Jacob Duffy’s current form justifies every rupee spent on him. He grabbed 9 wickets against the West Indies recently destroying their batting. Former cricketer R Ashwin called this signing a brilliant decision. The IPL team gets a quality bowler for 2026 at a reasonable budget allocation here.
His salary stayed reasonable at ₹2 crore for a proven international bowler. Jacob Duffy ranks No. 2 in T20I bowling currently making him valuable.
His IPL Price and Strategic Value
Royal Challengers Bengaluru grabbed Jacob Duffy for ₹2 crore at the auction. The New Zealand pacer joins the IPL team during Abu Dhabi auction proceedings. RCB secured him as backup for injury-prone Josh Hazlewood smartly planned.
The IPL price of ₹2 crore seems like a bargain for a top-ranked bowler. RCB needed a reliable overseas pacer who stays fit throughout the season. Duffy offers exactly that with his consistent wicket-taking abilities. The IPL salary reflects his age being 31 years old already.
Josh Hazlewood’s injury concerns made this signing necessary for RCB.
Impressive Current Form and Statistics
Jacob Duffy performed brilliantly throughout the 2025 season taking 35 wickets total. His bowling average remains solid proving consistency maintained throughout the year. He took at least one wicket in 12 of the last 15 T20Is. That’s incredible consistency rarely seen from overseas pacers playing internationally.
Despite being 31, Duffy bowls at his peak powers currently. Age doesn’t matter when someone performs this well, as shown. His recent performances indicate he can deliver immediately. RCB doesn’t need to wait for him to develop into a good bowler.
He’s already a complete package, ready to contribute from day one.
Long-Term Planning for RCB
The IPL team thinks beyond just the 2026 season with this signing. Josh Hazlewood will eventually reach the end of his playing career soon. Jacob Duffy becomes a potential long-term replacement for the Australian pacer gradually. RCB can build their pace attack around him moving forward.
His skill set matches Hazlewood’s abilities quite closely actually compared. Both bowlers extract bounce and movement troubling batsmen consistently. The franchise gets immediate backup plus a future spearhead in one deal.
That’s smart squad planning executed by management brilliantly here. Duffy also provides overseas spot flexibility during team selections.
