For the 15th season of the Indian Premier League, Royal Challengers Bangalore formed a well-rounded roster. They got the benefits of the same and made the playoffs. In order to compete for the title the next season, the Bangalore franchise has lost five players and has filled the vacuum with strong replacements.
Last season, RCB was consistent in their selection and made little changes to their starting XI. The same may be expected of the Bangalore franchise in IPL 2023. As a result, several marginal players may not see action in the following season.
Here are three RCB players that may be benched for the whole 2023 season.
Number 1. Sonu Yadav
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Sonu Yadav is regarded as one of the most promising young cricketers in Tamil Nadu. He was outstanding in the Tamil Nadu Premier League in 2022, scoring 107 runs in nine matches with a strike rate of 152.85 and taking 10 wickets at an economy rate of 7.77.
Sonu also showed his bowling prowess in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2022. He made eight appearances for Tamil Nadu and took nine wickets at a 5.38 economy rate. Given his ability to contribute to both areas, the 23-year-old is a great addition to the squad.
The Bangalore franchise, on the other hand, has multi-faceted cricketers like Wanindu Hasaranga, Shahbaz Ahmed, and Harshal Patel who have been regular performers in the T20 circuit. As a result, Sonu might spend the whole 16th IPL season warming the bench.
Number 2. Karn Sharma
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Karn Sharma gained popularity during the 2013 season of the Indian Premier League when he took 11 wickets for Sunrisers Hyderabad at an economy rate of 6.60 in 13 games. He’s been a regular in the main competition since then and has done well with the ball.
Karn has appeared in 68 IPL games and has 59 wickets at an economy rate of 7.91. Royal Challengers Bangalore acquired him in the major auction in 2022 to improve their spin department. However, the ace spinner did not appear in a single game all season.
RCB have retained the leg-spinner for the 16th edition of the lucrative T20 event, but he will find it tough to get into the starting XI in the presence of Hasaranga and Shahbaz, both of whom performed well in the previous season. The Sri Lankan spinner collected 26 wickets in 16 games at an economy rate of 7.54, while the Indian all-rounder scored 219 runs and took four wickets. As a result, Karn may not have a chance in the next season.
Number 3. Finn Allen
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Finn Allen has a track record of success in the game’s shortest format. The 23-year-old has played 82 T20 matches and scored 2270 runs with a strike rate of 172.75. He has also performed well in international cricket, scoring 567 runs in 25 T20Is with a strike rate of 163.40.
The Royal Challengers Bangalore wicketkeeper-batter has been with the team since 2021, although he has yet to make his IPL debut. Despite his rapid ascent in the T20 league, Allen is unlikely to win a spot in RCB’s starting XI in the next season.
The Kiwi batter is competing for an opening spot with Faf du Plessis, although the latter is the captain and will play every game this season. Furthermore, du Plessis is in great shape, so the odds of him being hurt are slim. As a result, Allen may be benched for the duration of the 16th IPL season.
