Royal Challengers Bengaluru need to break their IPL title jinx next season, and the first step to getting there is selecting the right players for retention ahead of the mega auction. After an incredible comeback in the latter half of last season, RCB sealed a playoff spot. As many as seasons, Virat Kohli once again won the Orange Cap clinching 741 runs across 15 games. However, only three batsmen in the team crossed the 350-plus run mark: Kohli, Faf du Plessis with 438 runs, and Rajat Patidar with 395 runs. As far as bowling goes, the dearth of teamwork, especially not having a quality spinner, really hurt their campaign at vital junctures. Though there is no confirmation from the BCCI on how many players each franchise will be allowed to retain, teams have already begun planning for some hard calls ahead.

Aakash Chopra Opines That RCB Might Release Faf Du Plessis

Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra feels that RCB might let go of their skipper Faf du Plessis, who has just turned 40 and also keeping him would mean an expensive risk for coming three years.

“This is always a very interesting question. Tough question again as to who would you want to retain. Virat Kohli will be one you will retain. Can you retain Faf for three years? That is a big question. Do you want to retain Faf for three years? Not sure,” Chopra said on his YouTube channel.

Also Read: Duleep Trophy 2024, India C Vs India B: Ruturaj Gaikwad Retires Hurt Just After 2nd Ball

Mohammed Siraj And Cameron Green Top Picks Of Chopra For RCB Retention

“If I get a chance I will retain Cameron Green. I will retain Mohammed Siraj because I won’t get too many Indian fast bowlers in the auction if I let him go as part of the retentions,” Chopra elaborated.

Chopra Chooses Will Jacks Over Glenn Maxwell

Aakash Chopra further went on to say that RCB could go after retaining Rajat Patidar. He was against RCB retaining Glenn Maxwell saying that the franchise should go after someone like Will Jacks, who hit an explosive century last season.

“Rajat Patidar maybe, if he can be retained slightly cheap, but that’s about it. Too many names aren’t there. I will release Maxi. I will say it’s enough, that you are a very good player, you play very well, but it’s okay. I want to look somewhere else. So I might leave Maxi. Will Jacks is not a bad choice. You can do that. Between Will Jacks and Glenn Maxwell, Will Jacks is much better. So that’s a possibility, an outside chance. It depends on how many people you get a chance to retain,” he replied.

Faf Du Plessis’ IPL Career

Faf du Plessis came into the limelight during the 2011 and early 2012 international cricket season, after which he was signed for INR 60 Lakhs by Chennai Super Kings in 2012 for IPL. His time with the CSK has been an account of reliability and intelligence on the field while making valuable runs at critical junctures.

Du Plessis joined Rising Pune Supergiants after CSK were suspended for the 2016 and 2017 seasons for about INR 4 crore. When CSK made their comeback in the IPL in 2018, they bought him back at a price of INR 1.6 crores and continued with him till 2021. During that time, he played some important knocks.

Also Read: AFG Vs NZ One-Off Test: Day 4 Abandoned, Noida Test Faces Chances Of Total Washout

Faf Du Plessis- An Explosive T20 Player

He has emerged as one of the most prolific cricketers in the league, he has scored 4,571 runs with an average of 35.99 and a strike rate of 136.37 in his stellar IPL career. Generally a key player to watch batting, Du Plessis has made 37 fifties and played many more highlight innings. His best season so far came in 2023 when he piled up 730 runs in a single edition, with eight half-centuries.

In 2021 IPL final Du Plessis played a very crucial innings. He played a vital knock of 86 runs off 59 balls against KKR as CSK won their fourth IPL title.

Faf’s IPL Stint With RCB

Royal Challengers Bengaluru had secured Du Plessis for INR 7 crore in the 2022 mega auction. After Virat Kohli stepped down as captain in March 2022, Du Plessis had led the side and took them to the playoffs in the first season as captain, scoring 468 runs. He had a phenomenal 2023 season, notching up 730 runs and finishing as the second-highest run-scorer behind Shubman Gill. In the 2024 season Faf Du Plessis scored 438 runs with an average of 29.20 and a strike rate of 161.62.