Opinion: RCB should not release Shimron Hetmyer after IPL 2019
Royal Challengers Bangalore are once again out of the Indian Premier League before the season goes into the playoffs. A lot of fans and critics are blaming RCB's auction strategies for the team's poor show this year.
The one name which has been a constant in the discussion of RCB's auction blunders is Shimron Hetmyer. The West Indies youngster was bought for a huge price in the auction however, he failed to live up to the expectations and now many want him out of the squad for the next season.
In my opinion, RCB should not release Hetmyer despite the poor season he has had this year. He was one of the most sought after players in the 2019 player auction. Just a few poor matches do not mean that one should axe him from the team forever. We have seen many players in the past who have left RCB, joined a new franchise, and then made RCB regret over their decision.
KL Rahul, Sarfaraz Khan, Chris Gayle, Shane Watson and Dinesh Karthik are the best examples. They all were once a part of RCB but the franchise lost faith in them quickly and they are now the leading faces of their current franchises.
Hetmyer was in his purple patch when he came to India to play the ODI and T20I series as a part of the West Indies squad. Whereas when he came to the IPL, he was running through a rough patch.
The Bangalore side should not let go of Hetmyer given that he is young, he is learning and he is a proven match winner. The flat pitch that Bangalore's home ground offers will help Hetmyer pile up a mountain of runs in the future for RCB.
Even Shreyas Iyer had a poor season for Delhi in 2016 where he scored 30 runs in 6 games but the Delhi franchise kept their faith in him and today he is the captain of their team and he even helped them reached the playoffs after a long time.
Kane Williamson had a disastrous outing in his first 2 seasons but he emerged as the Orange Cap winner in IPL 2019. The illustrations are countless and if RCB has learnt anything from their earlier mistakes, then they should not consider releasing Shimron Hetmyer ahead of IPL 2020 even in their wildest dreams.
Should Shimron Hetmyer be released by RCB or no? Share your answers in the comments box below.