The management of Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) has the habit of making bad decisions very often. Be it overspending on players, releasing good cricketers, or not placing too much faith in its resources, RCB has done all of this.
Of the lot, RCB has a forgettable history of releasing quality players. Almost every season, we see at least a couple of ex-RCB cricketers do well for their new franchises. This might be prevalent in a franchise-based competition, but for RCB, it is an uncomfortable recurrence.
However, this is definitely not a coincidence. RCB’s management must own up the failures, and at least in the future, they must make sure that these errors do not repeat. Nevertheless, players gone are gone. In this article, we analyze seven cricketers whom RCB must never have released.
1. KL Rahul
Well, there is no better name to start than with KL Rahul. Ahead of the 2018 mega-auctions, RCB retained Sarfraz Khan instead of KLR. The move seemed more as a business & PR tactic than that made from a cricketing perspective. To award Virat Kohli the two extra crores, it seems RCB had forced themselves to retain an uncapped Sarfraz ahead of Rahul. The decision is still hurting the team, and we are sure that it will continue to do so until a few more seasons.
2. Bhuvneshwar Kumar
Although Bhuvneshwar Kumar didn’t perform exceptionally well for RCB, the team could have thought a little before releasing him. We say this because had RCB done this then, their bowling would have been miles better now. From hereon, at least, the team must rate their resources carefully and make important decisions.
3. Quinton de Kock
Quinton de Kock is an exceptional talent at the top of the order and one of the world’s best option behind the stumps. When RCB picked up for around INR 3 cr in the 2018 auctions, many felt this was a great buy. However, despite being decent that edition, the franchise moved the player to Mumbai Indians in the 2019 pre-auction trade window. That season, QDK did exceptionally well to take MI all the way to the trophy. RCB could have easily given the South African an extra season and then could have taken their decision. They did not do that, and in 2020, they are being forced to field part-time keeper ABD behind the stumps.
4. Mitchell Starc
RCB could learn a lesson or two from KKR in this matter. Despite their injury setbacks, KKR never let go of the likes of Andre Russell, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, and Shivam Mavi. The decision is paying dividends now. Had RCB kept hold of Starc for another season, things could have changed, and their bowling could have become better.
5. Mayank Agarwal
RCB gave Mayank Agarwal his debut in the IPL. The Karnataka batsman also did decently well for the franchise in a few games. However, RCB did not retain him. From then on, Mayank has had a terrific domestic and an international season. He is now making waves in IPL 2020 at the top of the order for KXIP. A couple of years ago, Mayank was still an uncapped talent, and RCB should have retained him.
6. Steve Smith
Steve Smith’s relation with RCB is almost the same as Bhuvi’s. In Steve’s case, he did not get to play for the franchise at all. We cannot blame RCB too much for releasing Steve Smith. The Aussie had come into the franchise then as a leg-spinner, and a few years later, went on to become a quality batsman. This shift was unexpected, and this decision of RCB can be considered as just unfortunate.
7. Rahul Dravid
Rahul Dravid may not have been a great loss as a cricketer when RCB released him in 2010. But from the fanbase’s perspective, Rahul’s presence in the team could have been a big boost to the morale of the franchise. Dravid’s image in the public is exemplary, and him representing his home-franchise until his retirement would have been terrific. However, this did not happen, and that had led to many criticisms for the team in the past.
