3 players RCB were right to release ahead of the IPL 2023 auction

The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) played it safe ahead of the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) auction.

RCB released only five players, four of whom didn't feature for the franchise in a single game in IPL 2022. A team that built a strong core in the mega-auction with some smart acquisitions, the Bangalore-based unit opted to retain faith in their players even at the cost of a reduced purse this year.

Here are three players RCB were right to release ahead of the IPL 2023 auction.

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#3 Aneeshwar Gautam

Aneeshwar Gautam has always been touted for big things, and he had the opportunity to make his mark at RCB over the course of IPL 2022. Unfortunately, the young all-rounder didn't feature for the franchise and now finds himself without a team.

The Bangalore-born player would've added some much-needed local flair to RCB, but his performances recently have justified the side's decision to release him. In his last seven games in the Maharaja T20 Trophy, Gautam picked up just three wickets and recorded scores of 0, 30, 1, 5, 1, 0 and 5.

The 19-year-old definitely has a long career ahead of him, but he might not be ready for the IPL level as of now.

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#2 Chama Milind

Chama Milind has been part of three IPL franchises so far, but he hasn't found favor at any of them. The latest team to forego his services was RCB, who snapped him up at his base price as a backup option but decided to look elsewhere.

Milind's T20 numbers make for impressive reading, with 86 scalps in 59 matches at an economy rate of 7.75. However, he arguably doesn't have the pace to trouble batters at the top level and isn't much more than a lower-order batter.

In six matches in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy this year, Milind recorded only three wickets and had some expensive outings. It might be some time before we see him in IPL action again.

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#1 Sherfane Rutherford

St Lucia Zouks v Guyana Amazon Warriors - 2019 Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL)

Sherfane Rutherford played three matches for RCB in IPL 2022 when several first-choice stars were unavailable. He managed 33 runs in two innings at an average of 16.5 and a strike rate of 66 and didn't bowl a single over.

Rutherford's utility as a bowler has greatly reduced over the last few years, and he hasn't made enough strides with the bat to justify being picked in an IPL playing XI as a specialist batter. The West Indian is only 24 years old and has plenty of room to grow, but it's tough to see him find a place in the RCB side as a frontline option.

Rutherford took part in the Abu Dhabi T10 league recently, where he played a few cameos. But his T20 performances haven't been convincing enough of late to claim that he could be part of an IPL squad.