10 Players Royal Challengers Bangalore regret letting go

Royal Challengers Bangalore are one of three franchises to have never got their hands on the coveted trophy. Despite coming close to the win three times in the history of IPL, they have failed to perform when it mattered most.

They have always put up a strong squad on paper but have failed to perform in crunch situations. Hence, the title victory remains one of the unfulfilled dreams of the RCB fans which has continued long for eleven seasons.

They have also been eliminated from this year's IPL after crossing the line only six times in their fourteen games.

They could have fulfilled the dreams of their die-hard fans had they not sold these beneficial players. Here we will take a look at the prized players Royal Challengers Bangalore regret selling.

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#10 Harshal Patel

Harshal Patel was bought by Delhi Daredevils for just 20 lakhs in 2018.

Harshal Patel, the India A pacer was a part of Royal Challengers Bangalore from 2012 till last season before moving to Delhi Daredevils. He was included in Delhi Daredevils's squad only during their fifth game but since then, he has sealed his spot in the playing XI.

His hidden talents of big-hitting came to light when he was promoted up the order where he amassed scores of 36 and 24 in two innings.

He is a valuable bowler who can hit the deck hard and bowl good bouncers. He has played five games this season and has taken seven wickets and has also scored 60 runs at a staggering strike-rate of 181.81.

As Royal Challengers Bangalore haven't had a reliable bowling all-rounder, they should have undoubtedly tried to bid for Harshal Patel.

#9 Robin Uthappa

Robin Uthappa is the current vice-captain of Kolkata Knight Riders.

Robin Uthappa, the unsung hero of Kolkata Knight Riders has been one of the best wicket-keeper batsmen in the IPL. His first franchise was Mumbai Indians where he had a decent outing and scored 277 runs in just one season.

In the 2009 auction, he was acquired by his home side Royal Challengers Bangalore. Despite scoring 549 runs in 29 matches for RCB, he was sold to now-defunct Pune Warriors India. Ever since Pune Warriors India were terminated, he has been plying his trade for Kolkata Knight Riders.

Uthappa has been a utility player over the years and can also be a dependable wicket-keeper and fielder. He is a player who keenly sticks to the basics which have helped him a lot in his example of a T20 career. He has also scored 346 runs from 14 matches so far in this IPL.

As Royal Challengers Bangalore have never had a consistent wicket-keeper batsman barring KL Rahul, Uthappa might have been the desirable player.

#8 Manish Pandey

Manish Pandey has been a part of the Indian team since 2015.

Manish Pandey, the Karnataka batsman has been one of the most prominent players in the IPL. Ever since making his debut for Mumbai Indians in 2008, he has been a part of various other franchises which include Royal Challengers Bangalore, now-obsolete Pune Warriors India, Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad.

He has always been in demand owing to his flexible batting style and electric fielding skills. Impressive performances in the IPL has also made him a part of the Indian team since 2015.

Pandey was procured by RCB in 2009 where he managed to score 168 runs from just five matches. He is also known for making history by becoming the first Indian cricketer to score a century in IPL.

He was bought for a whopping 11 crores in this year's auction by Sunrisers Hyderabad. However, he hasn't been able to justify his hefty price tag as he has scored only 276 runs from 14 games.

Selling Manish Pandey would have been a great dissatisfaction for RCB as they had lost a talented batsman.

#7 Karun Nair

Karun Nair was a part of Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2012.

Karun Nair, the Karnataka batsman has been one of the most consistent players in the domestic circuit. He has also been a vital cog for Kings XI Punjab this season.

The aggressive batsman plays the role of a dependable middle-order batsman in the IPL. He can also play quickfire cameos which are very essential for the team's cause. He can play unorthodox shots regularly which is best suited for the shortest format of the game.

After having impressive stints with Rajasthan Royals and Delhi Daredevils, he was acquired by KXIP for 5.6 crores. He has played 13 matches and has scored 301 runs at an average of 25.08.

RCB regret under-utilising Nair as he has played only twice for his home team.

#6 Dinesh Karthik

Dinesh Karthik played for Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2015.

Dinesh Karthik has possibly been one of the most under-rated and consistent cricketers in the shortest format of the game. Though he cannot be the Gayle type of player who can smash sixes at will, he can rotate the strike consistently and also find the gaps at ease.

Fielding Dinesh Karthik as a captain instead of Uthappa raised plenty of eyebrows and the team-management came under scrutiny for selecting a defensive player to fill the voids left by Gambhir.

He has replied to critics by guiding KKR to the playoffs and also performing brilliantly both as a captain as well as a batsman. In the 14 games he has played so far, he has amassed 438 runs at a stunning average of 54.75 and a jaw-dropping strike rate of 149.48.

As Bangalore were no way close to acquiring Rahul, they should have tried their maximum level to buy Karthik which could have made a huge difference in Bangalore's campaign.

#5 Shane Watson

Shane Watson was let go by RCB in 2017 after he failed to justify his price tag of 9.5 crores.

Shane Watson, the classy right-handed batsman has become a household name in T20 leagues across the world. He can be very worthy to the team as he has excellent all-around skills.

He can play the role of an opening batsman as well as an opening bowler. He can chip in and bowl a few overs. Watson is best known for playing cover drive and square cut with ease. His athletic fielding skills also add up to his elegant all-around skills. He can also provide quick starts at the top of the order.

Watson has played 13 matches so far this season and has scored 424 runs at an outstanding average of 35.33 with a noteworthy strike rate of 154.74. He has also taken 6 wickets at an economy of 8.96.

As Bangalore lack a specialist all-rounder, he might have been the perfect solution to fill in the voids of Bangalore's woes. Not retaining Watson would have been a great displeasure for the Royal Challengers Bangalore.

#4 Chris Gayle

The Royal Challengers Bangalore haven't been able to fill the voids left by Chris Gayle this season.

Chris Gayle, also proclaimed as Universal Boss has clearly been the best cricketer to have played the shortest format of the game. He had been one of the backbones of RCB's batting department till the last season.

Gayle's dismal performance in 2017 saw him out of Bangalore' set-up. His age-factor played a huge role in Bangalore not retaining him. Despite this, he was acquired by KXIP for 2 crores during the third round of action.

In this year's IPL, he scored 368 runs at an average of 40.88 and strike rate of 146.03. Looking at Gayle's laudable stats, it probably was a hard blow for Royal Challengers as they had abstained him at this year's auction.

#3 KL Rahul

KL Rahul is the only costly buy to have justified the massive price tag.

KL Rahul is currently deemed as the next big thing in Indian cricket after Virat Kohli. The Karnataka batsman has been one of the lone bright spots for KXIP this season and was also a strong contender for the Orange Cap.

The young sensation has been a worthy asset for KXIP owing to his hard-hitting abilities. He has been consistent with the bat ever since KXIP's first game. He has also played some match-winning knocks which have helped Punjab recover from crunch situations.

He has played all the 13 matches so far for KXIP and has amassed 659 at an impressive average of 54.91 and a staggering strike rate of 158.41. RCB would be perceiving it as a bad fortune as they neglected such a palatial batsman.

#2 Bhuvneshwar Kumar

Bhuvneshwar Kumar's first ever IPL franchise was Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been one of the most consistent and economical bowlers in the IPL. He has also been the backbone of Indian bowling department over the years. In a star-studded bowling line-up of Sunrisers, Bhuvneshwar Kumar has always stood above the rest due to his wicket-taking abilities.

He can swing the ball both ways and can be a great opening bowler. His combination of pace and swing can be very lethal. Bhuvi can also play some quick cameos occasionally.

Kumar has got to play a total of 9 games so far this season and has taken 8 wickets at a brilliant economy of 8.14. He has had to miss five matches in the IPL due to a back injury.

Had RCB not sold Bhuvneshwar Kumar, their quest for an economical bowler would have come to an end.

#1 Steve Smith

Steve Smith had to miss this year's IPL due to his involvement in the ball-tampering scandal.

Steve Smith who has been in the news for wrong reasons lately, was the only player to be retained by Rajasthan Royals. This shows the faith entrusted to Smith by the team management.

The ex-Australian captain has been one of the finest players in the league. The sensational cricketer has hammered most of the bowlers for runs and has been brilliant with his footwork and stroke-play. He also guided the now-defunct Rising Pune Supergiant to the finals last season.

In the 2017 edition, he scored 472 runs from 15 matches at a magnificent average of 39.33. He was initially acquired by RCB in 2009 as a specialist leg-spinner where he did not feature in a single game.

With the passage of time, he has become the most sought-after cricketer in all formats of the game. Had RCB known he would have become the best cricketer in the world, they wouldn't have even thought of selling this prodigious cricketer. Also, the trio of Virat Kohli, Steve Smith and AB de Villiers could have lent RCB the IPL trophy.