3 players whose careers blossomed after leaving RCB
Even with all the talent, fanfare, and the build-up, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) have managed to remain a mediocre side as far as results are concerned in the IPL.
They have had sparkling stars in the side with the likes of Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, and Chris Gayle.
But it is a confounding case of a team not kicking on and getting the silverware. RCB have failed to win an IPL title and former players have often questioned their selection process, citing rigidity as a reason for their failure.
It should be mentioned here that the side have not been too lucky with their player acquisitions as well. They have snapped up players at auctions with all the research and tremendous expectations, but that player has not justified the selection. However, when these players were released, they went on to become match-winners for other IPL sides.
Here we take a look at 3 players whose careers blossomed after they left RCB:
#3 Shane Watson
The Australian all-rounder was player of the tournament in the first season of the IPL back in 2008 with the Rajasthan Royals. He has since been an important player for the league and has been part of some memorable performances.
Royal Challengers Bangalore picked up Shane Watson back in 2016. In 2017, he also led RCB in the few games Virat Kohli was absent. However, he did not leave any impact and was only able to score 250 runs in 24 matches across both the seasons.
He had to be released and Chennai Super Kings lapped him in 2018. He opened the innings under MS Dhoni and his IPL career took another positive turn. He enjoyed his best-ever season with 555 runs in 15 matches. He also slammed two tons in the IPL, one of which was in the final against Sunrisers Hyderabad.
#2 Quinton de Kock
RCB acquired Quinton de Kock for Rs 2.8 crore back in 2018. He had already established himself as one of the best white-ball wicket-keeper batters in the world. In 2016, he had a superb season with Delhi where he scored 445 runs in 13 games.
However, he did not have a good stint with RCB. He did not get enough game time since the side already had Brendon McCullum. The left-hander played just eight games where he managed to score only 201 runs.
In 2019, he was traded to the Mumbai Indians where he found a groove as an opener. He was given a long rope, and this yielded dividends for the side – he scored 529 runs in 16 games.
#1 KL Rahul
The Karnataka batsman was making all the right moves when he first arrived in the IPL. He was a prolific run-scorer in the domestic circuit.
But he scored just 20 runs in the first season in the IPL and was then purchased by Sunrisers Hyderabad the following season. He returned to Bangalore in 2016.
The right-hander had a decent campaign as he scored 397 runs in 2016 with four fifties. However, he was released after being sidelined in 2017 with a shoulder injury. In 2018, Kings XI Punjab splashed INR 11 crore to pick him and this move yielded dividends.
In the first match of the season, he smacked the fastest fifty in the IPL. He went on to score 659 runs in 14 matches at an average of 55. He has not looked back since and is currently the captain of Lucknow Super Giants.