3 unsold players who could have helped RCB qualify for play-offs

The group stage of the India Premier League is over and the Royal Challengers Bangalore have not made it to the play-offs. They have failed to make the most of their squad and managed to win just 6 of their 14 matches.

Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers were put under a lot of pressure this season and they delivered more often than not. However, the others were not up to the mark and could not help the team make it into the Top 4.

There are a lot of things RCB could have done differently this season, starting with the auction. There were so many mistakes made by them and so, here’s a look at 3 unsold players who could have helped them qualify for the play-offs this season:

---

#3 Joe Root

England v New Zealand - 4th ODI Royal London One-Day Series 2015

Joe Root is one of the best batsmen in the world right now. He’s been England’s best player in all three formats and could have helped RCB in a lot of matches.

He’s calm at the crease and scores all the crucial runs his team requires. The 27-year-old could have been the one to help them win the games they were chasing in this season.

Brendon McCullum hasn’t been at his best this season and getting Root instead of him would have been a smart choice.

#2 Moises Henriques

Matador BBQs One Day Cup - NSW v CA XI

When Nathan Coulter-Nile got injured, RCB went and got Corey Anderson as his replacement. While it was a smart pick on paper, he did not deliver on the pitch. He was woeful vs CSK and one of the main reasons why they lost that game.

Instead of signing him, they could have gone for Moises Henriques – someone who has done well in IPL. He’s played 57 games and has managed to score 969 runs while also picking up 38 wickets.

A player of his caliber could have helped them win the matches that went down to the wire. In a couple of games, he might have been a more apt fit in the team than Colin de Grandhomme.

#1 Lasith Malinga

England v Sri Lanka - 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup

Another player RCB could have signed as a replacement for Nathan Coulter-Nile was Lasith Malinga. The IPL legend was surprisingly not picked by any team in the 2018 auctions.

The Sri Lankan has a terrific record in the IPL and is a brilliant bowler at the death. RCB conceded a lot of runs during the last 5-6 overs of games and he could have helped them restrict the opponents to less than what they eventually got.

Playing him instead of Colin de Grandhomme or Chris Woakes in a couple of crunch games could have made things better for RCB and these slight changes could have easily got them a win or two – something that could have got them into the Top 4!