5 Players you might not know played for Royal Challengers Bangalore

Royal Challengers Bangalore are one of the most beloved franchises in the IPL. They have entertained the fans over the years. Superstars like Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers and Chris Gayle have all have all played a huge part in contributing to RCB’s success over the years. Royal Challengers Bangalore have made it to the finals on a number of occasions but they just haven’t been able to lift the coveted trophy.

Since the inception of the IPL, RCB has delivered standout players. Some of these players went unnoticed during their tenure with the franchise and went on to find success elsewhere. So, let’s take a look at 10 players who went unnoticed while playing for the Royal Challengers Bangalore.

---

5. Shivnarine Chanderpaul

Shivnarine Chanderpaul

Shivnarine Chanderpaul is widely regarded as one of the greatest test batsmen to ever play for the West Indies. He is best known for his batting stance and his incredible patience at the crease while batting. He has accumulated over 20,000 international runs for his country throughout his career that spans over two decades.

No matter how successful he was in Test cricket and ODIs, he failed to make a name for himself in T20s. He was just unable to convert his patience into aggression in the shortest format of the game.

Therefore, the decision to purchase him at the 2008 IPL auctions by the Royal Challengers Bangalore was questionable at best. In fact, his T20 record was so mediocre compared to his Test match records that it often felt that the only thing he had to offer his team was his vast experience.

When he was given the chance to play for RCB, he failed to capitalize scoring only 25 runs in three matches at an average of 8.33. This was his last season with the franchise and was released from his contract the following year. Chanderpaul never played in an IPL match ever again. One could argue that he would have been more suited for either a coaching or mentorship role, but he decided to step away from the league for good.

4. Misbah-ul-Haq

Misbah-ul-Haq

Misbah-ul-Haq is one of Pakistan’s most successful Test captains with 26 wins. An effective middle-order batsman, Misbah is known for maintaining his composure while batting but also possesses the ability to go for the big shot when needed. He became a well-known commodity in the world of cricket after his antics in the ICC World T20 in 2007 that almost saw Pakistan lift the trophy.

His performances didn’t go unnoticed as he was awarded an IPL contract to play for RCB in the inaugural edition of the Indian Premier League. However, he failed to replicate his World T20 success for RCB and was eventually dropped from the Playing XI after scoring just 117 runs in eight matches.

3. Eoin Morgan

Eoin Morgan

Eoin Morgan joins the long list of players who came into the IPL with a lot of expectations but failed to live up to the hype. Morgan has achieved a lot of success around the world, especially in limited overs cricket.

A renowned T20 cricketer, Morgan was purchased by RCB at the 2010 IPL auctions in an attempt to bolster their batting specifically their middle-order. He failed miserably with the bat managing to score a measly 35 runs in his six matches with the franchise. Morgan’s poor performance meant that RCB had no other choice than to release him from his contract the following year.

He then went on to play for Kolkata Knight Riders (2011-2013), Sunrisers Hyderabad (2015-2016), and Kings XI Punjab (2017).

2. Nathan Bracken

Nathan Bracken

Nathan Bracken was one of Australia’s key limited overs bowlers for the better part of a decade. He was consistent with the ball throughout his career and was heavily relied upon by his teammates when they needed a breakthrough.

He was purchased at the IPL auctions in 2008, but he never got to play for them. Later that year, Bracken became the no. 1 ranked ODI bowler in the world and was also named in the ICC World ODI team of the year. His performances didn’t go unnoticed as he was retained by his franchise for another season in 2009.

Surprisingly, he was still not good enough to make the playing XI and hung on to his IPL contract till 2010 without ever officially making his IPL debut. Bracken remains one of the greatest players to never make his IPL debut. Bracken retired from all forms of cricket on 29 January 2011.

1. Steve Smith

Steve Smith with Virat Kohli

Steve Smith was touted as the future of Australian cricket right from a very young age. Unfortunately, Smith had to wait a long long time before he finally made his IPL debut. This was due to the fact that the IPL wasn’t yet used as a launching pad for young cricketers.

Steven Smith was probably the biggest hidden gem that RCB never knew they had. He joined the team in the 2010 edition of the IPL. Sadly, the former Australian captain was released from his contract before being given a chance to prove himself.

He then found himself as part of the Kochi Tuskers Kerala team only to end up as a bench warmer. Again, he was released without playing a single game.

It wasn’t until 2012 that he made his IPL debut as part of the Pune Warriors India team. He immediately garnered a lot of attention for his unorthodox style of batting and was consistent in the middle-order. He soon became a mainstay for the franchise.

Following the disbandment of PWI, Smith found himself playing for the Rajasthan Royals. He played a crucial role for the Royals for two seasons. However, his best season with the bat came in 2017 when he played for Rising Pune Supergiants. He scored a total of 472 runs in 15 games for them and helped them reach the finals of the tournament.

Looking at the form of both Virat Kohli and Steve Smith, one can only imagine what kind of formidable duo these two could’ve formed had they played for the same franchise.