5 players Royal Challengers Bangalore should consider keeping this season

Virat

The Red Army has been by far one of the best teams on paper in the IPL, at least in the past three seasons. With the likes of players like Virat Kohli, Chris Gayle, AB de Villiers, Mitchell Starc, Shane Watson and Tymal Mills, the only problem that the team should have is a problem of plenty! However, they have not been able to win the tournament even once. There have been instances of individual brilliance, but as a team, they have choked.

This year, however, could change the fortunes of the team. With major re-shuffling of teams, RCB should look to retain their stars and acquire some good fresh players to fuel them.

Teams can retain five players, subject to a maximum of three capped Indian players, a maximum of two overseas players and a maximum of two uncapped Indian players.

Here are five players I feel the Royal Challengers should retain.

#1 Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli, the run machine from India has been one of the best batsmen of the tournament. Picked as a catchment player for RCB in the first edition of the IPL, Kohli has grown tremendously over the years and is now one of the best batsmen across all formats. He was made the captain of the side in 2013. His team has however majorly under performed in the tournament.

Kohli is the second highest run-scorer of the IPL. He has scored 4,418 runs in 149 matches at an average of 37.44 and a strike rate of 129.82. He has four centuries and 30 half-centuries to his name. His highest score in the tournament is 113.

RCB are sure to retain Kohli.

#2 AB de Villiers

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AB de Villiers

Abrahan Benjamin de Villiers - a name as grand as his game. de Villiers is undoubtedly one of the most innovative batsmen. Playing unorthodox and unimaginable shots, Mr.360 has changed the way the game is played. AB de Villiers played for the Delhi Daredevils for the first three editions of the IPL till RCB bought him in 2011.

He is the 10th highest run-scorer in IPL history, scoring 3,473 runs in 129 matches at an average of 38.16 and a staggering strike rate of 148.16. He has three centuries and 22 half-centuries to his name. His highest score in the tournament is an unbeaten 133. 936 of his runs have come from sixes!

AB de Villiers is another no-brainer when it comes to RCB player retentions for the next edition.

#3 Yuzvendra Chahal

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Yuzvendra Chahal

RCB is a great batting unit. It is filled with batting stars from all over the world. If there is one issue which is preventing them from winning the title, it is their bowling department. The bowlers have neither been able to defend large targets set by their batsmen nor have they been able to restrict the opponents to a chase-able score. However, there is one bowler who has done well for the team - Yuzvendra Chahal. Chahal has bowled exceedingly well, often without much support from other bowlers, taking wickets at crucial times for his side.

He has picked up 70 wickets in 56 IPL games and has best bowling figures of 4/25 in the IPL. Chahal has also done well for the national side recently.

RCB should consider retaining Chahal.

#4 Chris Gayle

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Chris Gayle

Chris Gayle has been RCB's power house in the IPL. Though inconsistent, the big Jamaican has the muscle to tear any bowling line-up apart and single-handedly win games for his side. Gayle recently scored an unbeaten 121 from 51 balls in the Bangladesh Premier League where he represented the Rangpur Riders.

The left-hander has 3,626 runs in 101 IPL games at an excellent average of 41.20 and a jaw-dropping strike rate of 151.20. Gayle has five centuries and 21 half-centuries in the tournament and holds the record for the most number of sixes hit in the IPL, with 265 sixes. His highest score in the tournament came against Pune Warriors, where he smashed an unbeaten 175.

RCB should look to retain Gayle for the next season.

#5 Kedar Jadhav

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Kedar Jadhav

The right-hander was bought by RCB in 2015. Jadhav had a reasonably good season for RCB last year and played a few handy innings for his side. He has also kept the stumps for his side on a few occasions and can even by handy with the ball in hand. He packs a punch with the bat and can hit big sixes. Jadhav is a good all-around package for RCB.

Kedar Jadhav has scored 893 runs in his 64 IPL games at an average of 23.50 and a strike rate of 134.89. He has three IPL half-centuries to his name. Behind the stumps, he has taken 23 catches and has affected seven stumpings.

RCB must look to retain Jadhav for the next season of the IPL.

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Edited by Anuradha Santhanam