IPL Auction 2022: 3 players Royal Challengers Bangalore must retain
Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) will aim to shed their eternal bridesmaid tag as they look to have a productive IPL Auction 2022 while retaining a solid core.
RCB and DC have been the only teams not to lay their hands on the trophy ever since the inception of the IPL. They will have their work cut out for them, especially while finding a new skipper after Virat Kohli hung up his cap at the end of the 2021 season.
One of the side's main shortcomings has been their inability to retain a core set of players. Although the duo of Kohli and AB de Villiers have been integral to RCB for many years now, the team has failed to convincingly build on that foundation.
With de Villiers inching towards his 40s, RCB must look to establish a set core for the foreseeable future by having a productive IPL Auction 2022. Ahead of the all-important paddle battle, we look at 3 players Bangalore must retain in order to have a shot at winning the title.
1. Virat Kohli: RCB's man for the ages
Virat Kohli is the only player to have played for a single franchise since the start of his IPL career. He has even publicly declared that he will end his playing stint with RCB.
This makes Kohli a sureshot absentee in the IPL Auction 2022. The former Indian T20I captain will want to add to his tally of 6283 IPL runs, with an average of 27.39 and a strike rate of 129.94. He has 5 centuries and 42 fifties to show for his time at the club, and will now be able to focus more on his batting after passing on the skipper's mantle.
2. Glenn Maxwell shouldn't be in IPL Auction 2022 pool
The Australian all-rounder shouldn't find himself looking for a new team to be part of during the IPL Auction 2022.
Glenn Maxwell's resurgence with RCB came in the form of 513 runs from 15 matches in 2021 at an average of 42.75 (his best in the tournament career) and a strike rate of 144.10. His performances in the 2021 IPL have earned him another season as a reliable batting option for the club.
3. Yuzvendra Chahal
Chahal has been a part of RCB ever since 2014. He was their most successful bowler in the 2015 and 2016 seasons, taking 23 wickets and 21 wickets respectively.
With his uncanny knack of taking wickets at regular intervals, Chahal cemented himself as Kohli's go-to bowler. With the new rules allowing four players to be retained per team, Chahal should be scratched off the list of available players in the 2022 auction.
Worthy mention: Mohammed Siraj
The Hyderabad-born quick was admirable in IPL 2021, successfully spearheading RCB's bowling attack with some stellar spells. It would be a shame to see him play for another franchise if the club were forced to let him go.