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4 Players which RCB should release before next IPL

Dixit Bhargav
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RCB become the first IPL team to have a woman in their support staff

4 Players which RCB should release: The Sportsrush present before you four names which RCB should release before IPL 2020.

Indian Premier League franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore have finished the ongoing 12th season of the Indian Premier League at the last position in the points table. Coming on the back of six consecutive losses to start their season, RCB did have a chance of qualifying for the playoffs during the business end of the tournament.

Having said that, them losing against Delhi Capitals and playing an abandoned match against Rajasthan Royals didn’t help their case. Been part of the tournament since its inception in 2008, Royal Challengers are yet to lift the trophy even once.

Been let down by their both their overseas and Indian players, Bangalore now have some serious decision to make ahead of IPL 2020. In a bid to retain the core, RCB won’t be looking to make changes in large numbers. Having said that, they still can release as many as four players before the 13th season of the IPL.

4 Players which RCB should release

Colin de Grandhomme

In the four matches that the New Zealand all-rounder played for Bangalore this season, he scored 46 runs at an average of 15.33 and a strike rate of 93.87. Usually coming in to bat during the slog overs, de Grandhomme failed to get going in any of the matches.

While some might argue that de Grandhomme generally batted in the lower middle-order, you rarely expect a finisher to get plentiful overs.

What further hasn’t worked well for de Grandhomme is his bowling. In the five wicket-less overs which he bowled with his medium-pace, the Kiwi cricketer conceded 55 runs at an economy rate of 11.

Tim Southee

Much like de Grandhomme, his New Zealand teammate Tim Southee also failed to create any sort of impact in the three matches that he played in IPL 2019. Being included into the Playing XI during the second half of the tournament, Southee gave away as many as 118 runs in the nine overs that he bowled.

While the 30-year old cricketer was expensive in the slog overs, him being ineffective with the new ball was what hurt Bangalore the most. With RCB acquiring the services of veteran fast bowler Dale Steyn, they can afford to release the Kiwi cricketer.

Heinrich Klaasen

In the three matches which South Africa wicket-keeper batsman Heinrich Klaasen played for Bangalore, he didn’t bat in the the first one and scored 3 and 6 in the next two matches. While he was caught brilliantly by Rishabh Pant off Amit Mishra against Delhi Capitals, he scored 6 (7) in a 5-over match against Royals.

While RCB had the chance of giving Klaasen another go in the last match, they included Shimron Hetmyer instead. With the franchise seeming to not back him enough, there is not much logic in prevailing with him. In the previous season for RR, Klaasen had scored 57 runs at an average of 19 and a strike rate of 121.27.

Mohammed Siraj

In the nine matches which Mohammed Siraj played for RCB this season, he dismissed seven batsmen at an average of 38.42, an economy rate of 9.55 and a strike rate of 24.14. Siraj was a constant face for Bangalore who went under the hammer time and again.

With the batsmen dominating him especially in the slog overs, Siraj was often seen clueless in crunch situations. Coming on the back of a lot of potential, Siraj hasn’t stood tall on the expectations in a couple of seasons for RCB. Having leaked runs at an economy rate of 8.95 last season, Siraj hasn’t found a solution to restricting the opposition batsmen.

About the author

Dixit Bhargav

Dixit Bhargav

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Born and brought up in Pathankot, Dixit Bhargav is an engineering and sports management graduate who works as a Cricket Editor at The SportsRush. Having written more than 10,000 articles across more than five years at TSR, his first cricketing memory dates back to 2002 when former India captain Sourav Ganguly had waved his jersey at the historic Lord’s balcony. What followed for an 8-year-old was an instant adulation for both Ganguly and the sport. The optimist in him is waiting for the day when Punjab Kings will win their maiden Indian Premier League title. When not watching cricket, he is mostly found in a cinema hall watching a Punjabi movie.

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