IPL 2021: If I Was RCB, I Would Not Keep AB de Villiers - Brad Hogg

Former Australia spinner Brad Hogg feels that Royal Challengers Bangalore shouldn’t retain AB de Villiers ahead of the upcoming IPL mega auction.

The IPL 2022 will be expanded to 10 teams, and hence there’s going to be a mega auction. The retention policies haven’t been made official by the BCCI yet. Virat Kohli will be the first-choice retention for RCB, with a future star in Devdutt Padikkal likely to be retained as well.

Brad Hogg reckons RCB should part ways with AB de Villiers. The 37-year-old had another prolific season, where he averaged 31 at a strike rate of 148.34. But, although he was phenomenal during the first half of the season, in India, his season tapered off when it moved to the UAE.

“If I was RCB, I would not keep AB de Villiers because his future is a little more unsettled than the likes of Faf du Plessis,” Brad Hogg  said in his YouTube video.

AB de Villiers will turn 38 next February. While his fitness is incredible, RCB may also opt to retain the 33-year-old Glenn Maxwell, who had a terrific season with the bat.

They might have to play one extra overseas player in each team: Brad Hogg

Brad Hogg remains sceptical about the addition of two new teams in the IPL. He opined that for the competition to remain as competitive as it has been, the quota of overseas players needs to be increased to five per team, as to the current rule of four.

“For me, I don’t know with the situation around the world right now, whether it is worth having those extra 2 teams. They might have to play one extra overseas player in each team,” the former spinner added.

The rumoured retention policy is that each team could be allowed up to four retentions with three Indians and one foreigner or a maximum of three Indians and a maximum of two foreigners with the total not exceeding four, as reported by Cricbuzz. If four retentions are allowed, it is unlikely there will be any Right to Match (RTM) cards.

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