3 Overseas players RCB should release ahead of IPL 2020 Auction

The Royal Challengers Bangalore – RCB went into the IPL 2019, carrying a lot of expectations on their shoulders. However, not to anyone’s surprise, the team failed yet again, finishing on the bottom of the table. The Indian players did step up to some extent, but no foreign player apart from AB de Villiers could show fight for the team.

This isn’t the first time when big guns have disappointed the team. While some of the players have done well in other leagues and international games in the past year, others have been struggling to find form. And the team would definitely like to release them and search for some new faces in the auction.

On this note, let us take a look at 3 overseas players RCB might want to axe before the auction:

1. Colin de Grandhomme

The New Zealand all-rounder was bought by RCB in 2018 for a sum of Rs 2.20 crores. But across the span of two seasons where he has represented the team, De Grandhomme has played only 13 games, without much to show. Moreover, the team has the presence of multiple all-rounders, who have been preferred over him.

The 33-year-old Grandhomme has only scored 177 runs and scalped 2 wickets in 13 games for the team. For a player who is the premier all-rounder for New Zealand squad, such stats are clearly underwhelming. Unfortunately, he has never been able to establish himself in the IPL despite a successful international career.

Therefore, RCB might like to get rid of him. Releasing him will help the team to ease up quite a bit of purse value, which they might use on finding a good backup Indian option in the all-rounders’ department.

2. Marcus Stoinis

The Bangalore-based side spent a whopping 6.2 crores to trade Marcus Stoinis from the Kings XI Punjab. A lot was expected from this Australian all-rounder, but he couldn’t contribute too much for the team. Except for a few good knocks, he failed miserably, in both batting and bowling.

The fact of the matter is that Stoinis has been running out of form for quite a long time now. He had a disastrous World Cup campaign, where he could manage only 87 runs and pick 7 wickets in 8 games before getting ruled out of injury. Since then, he hasn’t been able to make it to the Australian squad.

The purse value that RCB has put for him is a hefty sum, but the 30-year-old hasn’t been able to replicate that faith shown on him. With all-rounders like Pawan Negi, Shivam Dube and Washington Sunder stepping up, Virat would like to prefer these Indian options ahead of out-of-form Stoinis.

3. Tim Southee

Tim Southee is one of the great faces of New Zealand cricket, but the case is not the same in the IPL. Despite playing seven seasons, he hasn’t been able to establish himself as an elite player of the tournament. Also, his last two seasons, which he has spent with RCB, has been nothing less than a disaster.

The 30-year-old pacer played eight games for RCB in 2018, wherein he scalped only 5 wickets at a disappointing economy of 9.00. Still, he was retained for the next season, which turned out to be even worse. He conceded runs with a forgettable economy of 13.11. Who can forget the game against KKR, where Andre Russell muscled him for 29 runs in the penultimate over of the game.

With young talents like Navdeep Saini taking the centerstage, Tim Southee would never find a place in the squad. Therefore, the team would like to let go of him and bring in some other backup options for the bowling department.