Three players that Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) may release before IPL 2023

RCB finished 3rd on the IPL 2022 points table.

The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) achieved the hat-trick of qualifying for the playoffs after they made it into the final four of the IPL 2022 thanks to some help from Mumbai Indians (MI). This was the first season since 2013 when Virat Kohli was not captaining the side.

Faf du Plessis led the RCB team well and even did well with the bat. However, Virat Kohli’s fortunes took a nose dive in this tournament as he made three golden ducks and barely managed to make two half-centuries.

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Other main performers for the team were Dinesh Karthik, who excelled as a finisher, while Shahbaz Ahmed and Glenn Maxwell also did amazingly well with the bat. Ahmed was excellent with the ball as well, helping the likes of Josh Hazlewood and Wanindu Hasaranga keep the pressure on opposition batters.

However, there were some players who disappointed with their performances and some who warmed the bench throughout the tournament and might get released ahead of the IPL 2023.

Therefore, Team COC presents to you the three players Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) may release before IPL 2023.

DAVID WILLEY

David Willey played in the initial four matches of the IPL 2022 for RCB when Josh Hazlewood was not available for selection and much was expected from the England all-rounder. However, he could only muster 1 wicket in 4 matches at an economy of 6.54 and made 18 runs with the bat, batting up the order a couple of times.

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Willey has a good T20 record but has not been able to crack the code for the IPL, despite playing for various franchises over the years. He is a good all-rounder if utilized properly and it is possible that RCB might let him go ahead of the IPL 2023 after getting an idea of their combination.

SHERFANE RUTHERFORD

Sherfane Rutherford is a good talent, however, he hasn’t gotten many chances to showcase that in the IPL yet. He has played for Mumbai Indians, Sunrisers Hyderabad, and Delhi Capitals prior to joining the RCB franchise for IPL 2022, scoring 106 runs in 10 matches which came in IPL 2019 and IPL 2022.

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Rutherford was picked as a backup player for Glenn Maxwell and served his role well until Maxwell came. RCB might not have a role for him and such a good player doesn’t serve well on the bench and might do well for other franchises.

MOHAMMED SIRAJ

Mohammed Siraj has been the toast for the Indian team in the Test arena, but his limited overs career has not been that rosy. Having made his IPL debut for Sunrisers Hyderabad, Siraj’s career saw some upswing while playing for RCB.

However, he has never managed to wow and give a performance that is memorable in a positive way. His record in the IPL is 59 wickets in 65 matches at an economy of 8.78, quite expensive, and in the recent IPL 2022, he managed just 9 wickets in 15 matches at an economy of 10.08.

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Given that he was one of the three players retained by RCB before IPL 2022, his performance was not a justification for his price tag. Even if RCB want to have him in the squad, they can release him before IPL 2023 and buy him back for less money.