IPL 2022 Mega Auction: 4 Players That Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) Might Retain

For the last few seasons, the Indian Premier League has only witnessed the participation of 8 teams. However, IPL 2022 will be a little different as two new teams are going to join the league. As a result, a mega auction is also scheduled to take place next year ahead of the tournament. The mega auction will result in many changes in the current squad of all the teams.

However, all the IPL franchises will be allowed to retain 4 players in the squad. Out of those, there can be 1 or 2 overseas players while the rest should be domestic players. Royal Challengers Bangalore is one team that has lost IPL finals three times. They also have reached playoffs many times but failed to lift the title so far.

In IPL 2021, the Virat Kohli-led side showed great performance during the first half. They won 5 matches out of 7 and held the third spot in the points table with 10 points table.

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Although the RCB franchise will look to induct some new players into the squad during IPL 2022 auction, they will also retain some crucial players from the current squad. Here we take a glance at 4 players that Royal Challengers Bangalore might retain in IPL 2022 auction.

IPL 2022 Mega Auction: 4 Players That Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) Might Retain

Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli is the first player that Royal Challengers Bangalore will definitely retain in IPL 2022 mega auction. Virat Kohli has been part of the franchise since the first edition of IPL 2008.

Over the years, the franchise owners have backed the Indian player in the team. Moreover, Kohli has also performed consistently with the bat for the team in the tournament.

The right-handed batsman is the highest run-scorer in the tournament with 6076 runs in 199 matches, hitting 5 centuries and 40 half-centuries in the process. The 32-year-old owns an average of 37.97 and a strike rate of 130+.

In IPL 2021, he scored 198 runs in 7 innings with the highest knock of unbeaten 72. Kohli is among the top batsmen in international cricket and RCB will not release him out of the squad in any situation in near future.

Devdutt Padikkal

Devdutt Padikkal is another player that Royal Challengers Bangalore might retain during IPL 2022 auction. Padikkal is an emerging batsman in Indian cricket. He made his IPL debut last season and bagged the spotlight in his first season itself.

The left-handed batsman scored 473 runs in 15 matches in IPL 2020 with 5 fifties, finishing as the highest run-scorer for RCB.

IPL 2021 too, he continued his spectacular form, smashing a century in one match. With one unbeaten century, Padikkal scored 198 runs in 7 matches in IPL 2021 at an average of 39 and strike rate of 152+.

With Devdutt Padikkal in the squad, the RCB franchise has found a powerful opener and they will not release him in the next edition.

AB de Villiers

AB de Villiers is another player who is highly likely to be retained by Royal Challengers Bangalore in IPL 2022. The former South African cricketer is part of the franchise since the 2011 edition and played many match-winning knocks for the team over the years. Along with Virat Kohli, de Villiers is also a crucial part of the franchise.

With his aggressive batting style, the right-handed batsman has smashed 5056 runs in 176 matches in IPL so far at an average of 4.77. The wicketkeeper-batsman has also smacked 3 centuries and 40 fifties in the tournament.

In IPL 2021, De Villiers played a crucial knock in the opening game to bag victory for RCB against Mumbai Indians. In 6 innings, he scored 207 runs at an average of 51.75 with 1 half-century.

Glenn Maxwell

Glenn Maxwell is another overseas player that the Royal Challengers Bangalore franchise might retain in IPL 2022 auction. The Australian player became part of the franchise in the 2021 season at a whopping Rs. 14.25 crore price during the auction. In IPL 2021, the right-handed batsman played few crucial knocks for the team.

He smashed 223 runs in 6 innings at an average of 37.16 and strike rate of 144+. He also smacked 2 half-centuries in the tournament and ended as the highest run-getter for the team in the first half. Maxwell is a powerful batsman in the T20 format and the RCB franchise will be interested to keep him in the squad for few more seasons.