IPL 2018: 5 players Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) should not retain
A fairy tale mid-season comeback, backed by the supernatural form of Virat Kohli, had formed the crux of Royal Challengers Bangalore's IPL 2016 story, and had made them a solid contender to go the whole hog and win the elusive title in 2017.
Yet, what transpired the very next year couldn't have been more contrasting.
Royal Challengers' form deserted them quicker than Kingfishers Airbuses from airport terminals, even as luck vanished before the season, taking with it the injured star duo of Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers. A clueless, imbalanced outfit wilted before the first ball was bowled, and had lost its soul despite their return.
Fresh auctions offer new hope for the franchise that have always had big names on their roster, but never the consistency of other successful franchises.
Here are five names that the side should not retain for the upcoming auctions:
Travis Head
In his debut season with the Royal Challengers in 2016, Head was a victim of the four-foreigners quota, as a well-stocked top-order prevented the Australian from getting a regular run. He managed to usurp Chris Gayle for a game or two but could muster only three games in the franchise's largely successful season.
A pugnacious batsman who can ride the storm or calm it if needed, Head had a much more prominent role to play in 2017, with both Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers missing the start of the season, and Chris Gayle struggling to put bat on ball.
Yet, Head just couldn't get going. That he could hit the big ones was evident, but the consistency was sorely lacking beyond a few sporadic cameos. Except for one fifty, Head continued to run out of partners while being shunted up and down the order throughout the season.
Even next year, with the quota rule in place, Head might have trouble breaking into the first-XI consistently.