Royal Challengers Bangalore have released as many as ten players ahead of the deadline for retention.

All-rounder Chris Morris and Australian captain Aaron Finch are the most high-profile names to have been released by the team, while South African Dale Steyn who made himself unavailable for the tournament too has been released.

Among the Indian players, fast bowler Umesh Yadav and big hitting all-rounder Shivam Dube are the big ticket names to be featured in the list.

Two other Indian all-rounders Pawan Negi and Gurkeerat Singh Mann are other notable names in the list. Parthiv Patel, who announced his retirement from all forms of cricket is the other obvious omission from the squad.

RCB, known for their all-round strength, have also decided to release Sri Lanka’s Isuru Udana and England all-rounder Moeen Ali.

Isuru Udana was one of RCB’s smartest buys last season as the team had released a video after the auction revealing the meticulous planning that had gone into the buying of the lanky Sri Lankan bowler famous for his variations.

The team has made some surprising retentions centred around its core group of players led by India captain Virat Kohli. It is interesting to note that Bangalore decided to stick with Adam Zampa who was only a replacement addition to the team last year after Kane Richardson withdrew just ahead of the IPL.

Zampa had impressed with his performances in the UAE and has been turning eyers with his showings in the ongoing Big Bash League.

Another Australian who seemed to have earned the faith of the management with his recent performances in the BBL is Joshua Philippe. With Parthiv Patel having called a time on his career, the team has decided to stick with a permanent wicket-keeper in Philippe. However, last season maverick AB de Villiers was seen donning the gloves for the team.

The deadline for retention ends on 21st and the trading window will close on February 4th. The mini auction is expected to be held sometime in February for the 2021 edition of the Indian Premier League. 

List of players retained by RCB

Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, Yuzvendra Chahal, Devdutt Padikkal, Navdeep Saini, Washington Sundar, Mohammed Siraj, Kane Richardson, Adam Zampa, Josh Philippe, Shahbaz Ahmed and Pavan Deshpande

List of players released by RCB

Aaron Finch, Chris Morris, Isuru Udana, Moeen Ali, Pawan Negi, Gurkeerat Singh Mann, Shivam Dube, Dale Steyn, Parthiv Patel and Umesh Yadav