IPL 2018: 5 Players Royal Challengers Bangalore should retain

Royal Challengers Bangalore are among the very few sides who are yet to win the Indian Premier League (IPL) title. Despite boasting of big guns in their armoury, the team has blown hot and cold over the past seasons of the T20 extravaganza. The Red Army has struggled to get their act right and consequently have slumped at crucial junctures of the tournament. They finished as the cellar dweller in the last season and could hardly garner momentum during the course of the tournament. Going into IPL 2018, RCB will be looking to make amends and string together some decent performances. After the new retention rules, here are the five players who are likely to be retained by the franchise. 5. Yuzvendra Chahal Yuzvendra Chahal. (Photo Source: Twitter) Yuzvendra Chahal has been a success story for India in limited-overs cricket in the recent months. However, prior to that, he made a name for himself as a dependable bowler in the Indian Premier League, playing for the Royal Challengers Bangalore. Chahal was bagged for 10 lakhs in 2014 as an uncapped player. However, he has grown in stature with the passage of time and has established himself as a force to reckon with. The leg-spinner isn’t afraid of giving the ball air and imparting spin even if it means he ends up with a higher economy but that has ensured his wickets column always has a rich look. The Haryana-born leggie has been a regular feature in the Indian limited-overs squads which keeps him in good shape. RCB’s bowling woes are an open secret and the team must retain Chahal as he has been one of their more consistent bowlers. 4. KL Rahul Lokesh Rahul. (Photo: IANS) KL Rahul, over the years, has carved a reputation for himself as a cricketer who can efficiently play all three formats of the game at the highest level. After having an underwhelming season with the Sunrisers Hyderabad, Rahul moved to his home team Bangalore in 2016 where he was picked for 100 Lakhs. He was shuffled in the batting order and was either slotted as the opener or as a middle-order batsman. But the Karnataka-born cricketer exhibited versatility and most importantly, maturity doing justice to his selection almost every time he walked out to take guard. Meanwhile, he also churned out some priceless knocks for his team. Rahul displayed his exceptional prowess for the national team in T20 Internationals when he notched his maiden ton against the Windies in Florida in 2016. Deservingly enough, he should be drafted in by the franchise as he will be a key player in their plans for the season. 3. Samuel Badree Samuel Badree. (Photo Source: Twitter) Samuel Badree retired from first-class and List A cricket way back after the 2012-13 in order to focus on his T20 career. The leg-spinner is currently a specialist T20 bowler who plies his trade in domestic T20 leagues across the globe. He started his career in the Indian Premier League, playing for the Rajasthan Royals and then moved to the Chennai Super Kings, but didn’t get many opportunities. In 2016, he was bagged by the Royal Challengers for 50 Lakhs. He bowled impressively, but his best performance attained a new high in the 2017 season when he nipped out his maiden IPL hat-trick against the Mumbai Indians. For someone who can bowl in the power-plays, middle overs and also in the death, Badree will be an asset for the RCB team, going into the eleventh season. 2. AB de Villiers AB de Villiers of Royal Challengers Bangalore. (Photo: IANS) AB de Villiers is arguably one of the most dynamic cricketers the cricketing world has ever seen. He displays a fearless and calm outlook at the crease, which has fetched him a truckload of runs in all formats of the game. He initially represented the Delhi Daredevils after which he was grabbed by the Royal Challengers Bangalore for USD 1.1 million at the 2011 auctions. With loads of match-winning knocks under his belt, ABD has turned out to be an indispensable element of the RCB setup. However, de Villiers had a pretty mediocre season in 2017 and faltered to dish out the same level of consistency. However, the 33-year-old Proteas batsman is yet to run out of steam and can play a pivotal role in RCB’s campaign in the 2018 season. 1. Virat Kohli Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Virat Kohli. (Photo: Surjeet Yadav/IANS) Virat Kohli led the Indian U19 team to World Cup glory in 2008 and was immediately acquired in by the Royal Challengers for 20 Lakhs as a part of their uncapped quota. The Indian batsman hasn’t looked back since and has piled on runs and records with sheer authority. After scoring heavily with the willow, Kohli was eventually anointed as the leader of the team. He began as a middle-order batsman for RCB but gradually moved up the order on the back of some stupendous exhibition and to balance out the XI. He is arguably RCB’s best bet at the top of the order and would’ve been the one to be retained if the franchise had the option to hold on to just a single player. The team will be hoping for yet another fruitful season with the swashbuckling cricketer and also expect him to take them all the way through.

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IPL 2018: 5 Players Royal Challengers Bangalore should retain

Royal Challengers Bangalore finished as the cellar dweller in the last season and could hardly garner momentum during the course of the tournament.

2. AB de Villiers

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