Mega Auction Preview: 5 Big names RCB could release next year

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) like always had a love-hate relationship with the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 tournament. While the start wasn't good, the second phase of the league was nothing less than a dream for the team. They played six good matches and won all of them and hence, quite convincingly qualified for the playoffs. However, their luck wasn't on their side and they lost hopes of winning the trophy by losing the eliminator against Rajasthan Royals (RR) by four wickets. 

With that, they were knocked out of the tournament even after putting in a lot of effort throughout the tournament. Their comeback after losing six out of seven matches in a trot was no less than a miracle. They grabbed the 1% chance they had and played accordingly. Nevertheless, now that the league is over for them, we can talk about the players who will be released for the upcoming 'Mega Auction'. 

Let's discuss the five players who can be released from the squad ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction:

5. Alzarri Joseph

Brought to the team with a whopping amount of INR 11.5 crores, Alzarri Joseph might be released by the franchise since he hasn't done well in this year's IPL. Even though his forte lies in bowling deadly yorkers in the death overs, he was used in some games where he failed to prove his potential and hence, was rested for the rest of the season. So, RCB will definitely look to go for some other bowler who will be reliable during times of crisis. 

4. Cameron Green

RCB traded Cameron Green from the Mumbai Indians for INR 17.50 crores. Known as an all-rounder, Green has done a great job for the team with his all-round performance with the bat and the ball. Moreover, in his entire IPL career, he has hit 62 fours and 32 sixes which is indeed quite impressive. RCB can release him during the mega auction but might keep a close eye on him during the auction again. Since he has performed well for the team, he might be included again. 

3. Yash Dayal

Yash Dayal's inclusion in the squad brought in a lot of criticism for the franchise considering the kind of form he was in the last IPL season. However, he chose to shut the critics with his bowling in this IPL season. For RCB, he played in 14 matches and took 15 wickets at an economy of 9.15. He has given breakthroughs when it wasn't even possible for the team to get a single wicket. The consistency with which he bowled this year was unbelievable. Retaining him might not be a great idea and RCB will look to release him this year. However, his performance may become a reason for them to get him back on the team again. 

2. Glenn Maxwell

Glenn Maxwell is one of the best players of RCB. He has done extremely well for the team in the past and has always stood up whenever possible. For his all-round performance, the skippers have always preferred him over other players. But RCB will have to release Maxwell during the mega auction. He hasn't played well this season and also left the team in between due to mental fatigue. Even though he returned within time but couldn't do much. This might be one of the reasons behind Maxwell's exclusion from the team. 

1. Faf du Plessis

Came in to captain the team, but Faf du Plessis couldn't win a single title with the RCB team. After giving his 100% in all the matches, he missed the chance of winning the trophy. Moreover, he is already 39 years old and has stopped playing in other tournaments and matches. Hence, his form might also be a concern for the franchise as they would like to go with someone fresh and young who has a different perspective on the game.