IPL 2022: 4 players Royal Challengers Bangalore can retain after AB de Villiers’ retirement
AB De Villiers has been a vital part of RCB for the past several years.
Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) are one of the top teams in the Indian Premier League (IPL). They have plenty of mighty players in their arsenal but haven’t really managed to win a title since the inception of the league. However, they made into the IPL final in 2009, 2011 and 2016.
RCB lost to Deccan Chargers (now-defunct IPL franchise), Chennai Super Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad in the finals respectively. They are one of the three teams that are yet to lift the trophy. A major development took place in the RCB camp post the IPL 2021 season in the United Arab Emirates.
Virat Kohli stepped down as RCB captain and there will be a new captain for the franchise in the upcoming season. Apart from that, legendary player AB de Villiers has retired from all forms of the game. He will not be seen in the RCB outfit again.
The former Proteas player said that he will be an RCB fan for life. Meanwhile, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) came up with a new rule for the upcoming auction. India’s governing body has notified all the IPL teams that they can retain up to 4 players in the build-up to the mega auction for IPL 2022.
In this article, we will take a look at the list of four players whom RCB can retain after AB de Villiers’ retirement:
4. Harshal Patel
Harshal Patel made an entry into Royal Challengers Bangalore after being traded in from the Delhi-based franchise ahead of IPL 2021 season. He made his IPL debut in the 2012 season. The Haryana-born pacer spent the majority of his IPL career at Royal Challengers Bangalore.
However, he made up his mind to move to Delhi in IPL 2018 season. He showcased his mettle in the domestic season of 2019-2020. Harshal was one of the few players who were retained by the Delhi Capitals ahead of the IPL 2020 season.
Following that season, he went on to play for RCB once again. He had a major breakthrough season where he finished as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker. Harshal won the Purple Cap for taking 32 wickets in 15 games.
