Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra has picked our players who he feels Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) should retain ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) mega auction for the 2022 season. Each team can retain a maximum of only four players with no Right To Match (RTM) option this time around during the mega auction.
RCB superstar AB de Villiers confirmed his retirement from all forms of cricket last week and the franchise is set to be without his services for the first time since the 2011 season. With De Villiers no more in the fray, it remains to be seen how RCB will plan their retentions and who will they form their core around heading into the mega auction.
With Kohli having stepped down as captain, RCB will also be on the lookout for a potential captaincy candidate in the mega auction. Chopra has named four players who he thinks RCB should retain with Kohli on top of the list along with experienced spinner Yuzvendra Chahal. The cricketer turned commentator said if he had to use the complete quota of four retentions then he will also keep Mohammed Siraj and Devdutt Padikkal.
“Virat Kohli and Yuzi Chahal will be my first two choices. If I have two more in my hand, I will try for Mohammed Siraj and Devdutt Paddikal. These will be my four. I will think about these four for sure. In fact, I can think about Harshal as well – Siraj/Harshal,” said Chopra.
Chopra snubbed Glenn Maxwell from his list explaining that he would not want to retain him as he is not hundred per cent sure that Maxwell will continue to perform the way he did for RCB in IPL 2021. Maxwell was roped in by RCB in the player auction last year for a whopping Rs 14.25 crore (INR 140 million).
“You might be thinking about Glenn Maxwell, that why am I not wanting to retain him. It is because I don’t have hundred per cent confidence. He is doing very well but I don’t know if he will continue doing that. So, I don’t want to take that chance,” said Chopra.
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“We can get more overseas players in the market space if we want, you don’t get Indians. I look at Indians most of the times when it comes to retentions,” he added.
Chopra further went on to add that it can be a toss-up between Siraj and Harshal when it comes to RCB’s pace-bowling retention. While Siraj has developed into a consistent performer for RCB over the last couple of seasons, Harshal had a terrific IPL 2021 where he picked up 32 wickets to bag the Purple Cap and has also made it to the Indian T20I side.
“It might be a toss-up between Harshal Patel and Mohammed Siraj. You can look at Siraj with a slightly more long-term vision. Harshal, the way he is developing, the last 12 months have been extremely good, so maybe Harshal Patel. But then you are looking at three seasons, not just one or two,” said Chopra.
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