Royal Challengers Bangalore must have dampened spirits after their dream run was brought to a hapless halt as Covid 19 rose eminently, jeopardizing the posterity of the ongoing edition of the IPL. It seemed that they were doing everything in the most perfect way one can and yet was handed over a bout of misfortune as no one knows when this tournament would resume and even when it does, will they carry on with the same steam as times change and so does the form of players.
However, as the mega auction approaches, speculations have already started brewing out of proportions that which players may be up for grabs. With the confines of three capped players who can be kept in the team alongside the spectrum of Right to match cards that can be used to fetch a couple of more players, a maximum of five players can be retained. With all said and done, the inclusion of two brand new franchises will bring a paradigm shift to the tournament that will see countless exploits being swooped in and entire strategies going for a toss.
In the middle of this catastrophic mayhem, we would take a quick look at five possible exploits that Royal Challengers may aim to rope in the imminent blockbuster that will set the tone for IPL 2022.
Mayank Agarwal
Needless to say that Punjab will not let Rahul go, given his individual brilliance that has always kept the hopes of Punjab Kings alive despite woeful stints in the IPL. However, the same may not be applicable n the case of his opening partner, Mayank Agarwal. The young man has displayed exemplary class in the last two editions of the tournament. However, when it comes to exercising their rights to retain players, Punjab may go for much more experienced campaigners like Mohammad Shami and Dawid Malan.
Agarwal is a dynamic hitter and can get his team rolling off to a blinder early in the innings, making good use of the powerplay. In case of sudden landslides, Agarwal can even hold on to his firepower and release it when the situation demands.
Devdutt Padikkal has been an exceptionally bright prospect for RCB, however, there have been times when he has gone for a bad patch that imposes itself endlessly on the young man. Even for the ongoing edition of the tournament, Padikkal was exceptional with the century that he smote, however, what followed thereafter was a meager 94 runs from the remaining 5 fixtures. This is exactly where Mayank Agarwal’s consistency comes into the picture.
RCB relies heavily on Mr 360 to deliver them out of troubles and at times when the big man fails, it is a cataclysm altogether. The inclusion of Mayank Agarwal will make the transition a lot easier for the RCB middle order, paving the way for a late ABD storm.
Abdul Samad
A young man who didn’t really much batting options in the ranks of Hyderabad in the last year can be a major key to the transformation of Royal Challengers’ Bangalore middle-order batting. Despite a hefty top-order, questions have often been asked about the finishing of the innings.
Samad hasn’t been an exceptional batsman but whenever he has been given an opportunity, he has proved himself to be exceptionally handy, especially with some hard-hitting towards the end of the innings.
He is also capable of wringing out a few crucial overs in the middle as he is known for his wicket-taking inclination. In 2020, he registered a strike rate of 170.76. He bats pretty deep down the order and hence the number of opportunities coming his way is limited. However, as RCB has struggled with the transition of the power shift from the top-order to the middle-order, Abdul Samad can be the key to this quandary. With ABD carrying on with his carnage at one end, the youngster’s introduction will continue the onslaught even if the big man departs. In case if these two join forces together at the end, it can very well be a run-fest for Bangalore, given their heavy batting order.
Lockie Ferguson
Kolkata Knight Riders bank heavily on the services of Pat Cummins to spearhead their bowling unit that has forced New Zealand express bowler, Lockie Ferguson to be out of the contest for the ongoing edition. In 2020, the day Ferguson introduced himself to the tournament, he rocked and rolled the Hyderabad batting line up with some searing pace and toe-crushing accuracy.
Bangalore tried to wring out a valuable performance from Kane Richardson this year before the towering Australian left the bio-bubble midway, citing bubble fatigue. He wasn’t particularly successful and was shortly replaced by Kyle Jamieson who proved himself to be exceptionally crucial to the ranks of Bangalore.
Given the sensation that Jamieson has already validated himself to be, it will be a full-blown war for the big man when he enters the arena for the mega-auction. Bangalore will have their hands full, considering the fact that they will already be splurging behind ABD and Kohli with a couple of more options to be retained. Hence, in case if they are unable to land Jamieson, they can target Ferguson, who has done a decent job for the Knights. He is a decent fast bowler and comes in very handy with some menacing swing bowling and the deathly toe-crushers that make him an exceptional T20 bowler. He is also very industrious in the death overs given his ability to eke out a couple of wickets which leaves the newcomers exceptionally fazed.
Rahul Chahar
This young man has established himself as a vital cog in the Mumbai Indians echelons with his extraordinary brand of leg spin. Not only has he claimed 11 wickets in the ongoing campaign, but he has also registered a fine economy rate of 7.21. His overall economy rate is 7.41 which has seen an improving trend since 2020.
Yuzvendra Chahal struggled vehemently throughout the last year and that is what will force RCB to get an alternative in his place so that the middle overs can be plugged and not many runs are leaked through the same.
His knack for wickets is something that makes him any captain’s favourite especially in the shortest format of the game. While defending a low total, Mumbai Indians have used him very effectively that has come in handy on quite a few occasions. This is exactly why Rahul Chahar will be a big name for the ranks of Royal Challengers Bangalore.
Chetan Sakariya
This young man has impressed everyone in the ongoing edition of IPL with his wicket-taking skills and that is exactly why RCB will chase him. They will make a desperate attempt to retain Harshal Patel or maybe win him back in the auction. However, this man can be a game-changer given his extraordinary bowling flair.
Sakariya is a decent fielder too and is expected to produce his magic as days pass. The young man is touted for his medium-pace bowling and his pin-point accuracy with the line and length. He is also a decent fielder that has already witnessed him bagging important catches and fine ones. He will be a valuable addition to the squad of RCB.
