4 IPL Franchises Who Could Pick Josh Tongue at IPL 2027 Auction Ft. RCB

England pacer Josh Tongue has been in terrific form across all formats and is expected to be one of the players to attract big bids in the IPL 2027 auction. Recently, he took a five-wicket haul against Pakistan in the first Test match of the series. Just a few days before that, he was one of the best bowlers in The Hundred 2026, representing Manchester Super Giants, and was the joint-highest wicket-taker. His economy rate in the tournament was 7.93, which is also excellent in the 100 ball format. In T20 cricket, Tongue has played 35 matches and has taken 50 wickets so far.

He has improved a lot as a bowler and has been one of the best bowlers over the last year. In The Hundred 2025 also he was the highest wicket taker with 14 wickets in just six matches. Recently, he made his T20I debut in the series against India and took seven wickets in four matches.

In the IPL 2026 auction, he registered his name at a base price of INR 75 lakh but unfortunately went unsold. However, given his current form, it is unlikely that he will go unsold again.

Here are the the four teams that could target him in the IPL 2027 auction.

Mumbai Indians (MI)

Mumbai Indians may be one of the teams looking to target Josh Tongue in the IPL 2027 auction. As of now, they only have Trent Boult and Corbin Bosch as their two overseas pacers. Boult has not been in the same form for quite a few seasons as he was before, and with his age, it may become difficult for him to keep his place in the squad. He has also shown clear signs of decline in other franchise leagues where he represents Mumbai Indians franchises. He was also released from the squad from SA20, a clear sign that Mumbai Indians are aware that he is no longer the force he used to be.

Bringing Tongue into the team may solve their powerplay bowling with the new ball. He can also complement Jasprit Bumrah well and can be used in the death overs.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB)

The two time defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru will also be among the teams that will have an eye on Josh Tongue during the auction. RCB currently have Josh Hazlewood, Jacob Duffy, Nuwan Thushara as their overseas pacers. Hazlewood has been one of the best bowlers over the past two seasons and has been irreplaceable for the team.

However, with reports suggesting that he is unlikely to feature in IPL 2027, as the ODI World Cup will also take place in the same year, Australia may look to manage his workload. To fill that gap, RCB could target Josh Tongue. With Mo Bobat and Andy Flower involved in the decision making, the England influence could be play a big role and RCB are strong favourites to bid for the English pacer.

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG)

Josh Tongue has played a huge role in helping Manchester Super Giants win the league. He took 14 wickets in the tournament and was the joint leading wicket taker. He was excellent for them throughout the season. Manchester Super Giants are also the sister franchise of Lucknow Super Giants, so Tongue knows the franchise well and the franchise also knows him well. They have also seen the impact he can make.

Because of this, the LSG owners may look to have him in their team and could bid for him in the IPL 2027 auction. LSG’s pace attack has also been affected by injuries, with almost every pacer dealing with an injury and missing games. They only have Anrich Nortje as their overseas pacer, and he was also injured in the previous season. Having Josh Tongue could help the team in the Lucknow pitch conditions, where there is usually some help for pacers.

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)

The three time champions Kolkata Knight Riders bought Mustafizur Rahman and Matheesha Pathirana in the IPL 2026 auction as their overseas pacers. However, due to the political tensions between India and Bangladesh, the BCCI urged KKR to remove Mustafizur from their squad. They then signed Blessing Muzarabani as his replacement.

Matheesha Pathirana was also unavailable for the majority of the season. When he became available, he could bowl only eight deliveries before getting injured again and later had to undergo surgery. Because of this, KKR faced problems in their pace department. Their Indian pace attack has potential, but they lack experience.

A player like Josh Tongue could be one of their targets. Given Pathirana’s fitness issues, KKR will have to look for a good pacer who can directly come into the playing XI. As of now, Tongue is one of the best options available, so KKR may look to target him in the auction.

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