The release of Wanindu Hasaranga by Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) ahead of the IPL 2024 auction surprised everyone.
Wanindu Hasaranga is currently the third-ranked ICC T20I men’s bowler, and previously had held the number 1 position, but lost it after being injured.
He’s taken 35 wickets in the last two IPL seasons with RCB, and was in the running for Purple Cap in IPL 2022, missing it by a whisker to Chahal.
Apart from his wily, and experienced leg-spin bowling, Wanindu Hasaranga also brings is lower-order hitting, something which RCB failed to utilize in last two seasons by pushing him way down the order, which meant he didn’t get enough balls to make an impact with the bat.
Wanindu Hasaranga’s bowling should have been enough for any team to retain him. However, the new coaching setup headed by Andy Flower might think differently. The Sri Lankan had a high salary of INR 10.75 crore.
Now, RCB, who have never won an IPL title in 16 attempts, will be on the lookout for a replacement for Hasaranga in the IPL 2024 auction.
After trading in Cameron Green from MI, RCB are left with a purse of INR 23.25 Crore for the IPL 2024 auction.
3 players RCB might target as replacement of Wanindu Hasaranga in IPL 2024 auction:
Hrithik Shokeen
Hrithik Shokeen was surprisingly released by the Mumbai Indians. The youngster from Delhi played a decent supporting role to Piyush Chawla last season for MI. Shokeen is only 23 years of age and is a spin-bowling all-rounder who averages 58 with the bat in first-class cricket and 23 in T20 cricket. So he is more than just a reliable batsman too.
RCB can rope Shokeen in in the IPL 2024 auction and make him a building project that could pay dividends in the future.
Shakib Al Hasan
A veteran that RCB can target for a finisher-cum-trustable-bowler is Bangladesh’s Shakib Al Hasan. Shakib has been released by KKR, but the southpaw remains an asset as an all-rounder across formats and conditions, especially in Indian conditions. Shakib has a vast experience of 415 T20 matches, taking 465 wickets and scoring more than 6000 runs, a significant chunk of it in the Asian conditions and in the IPL.
Adil Rashid
One of the members of England’s double World Cup-winning team – 2019 World Cup and 2022 T20 World Cup – is leg-spinner Adil Rashid.
Rashid could be the perfect replacement for Hasaranga for RCB. He comes with the experience of delivering match-winning spells in last year’s T20 World Cup semi-final and final. That Rashid has experience with success of bowling on batting-friendly surfaces in T20 cricket makes him an apt choice for RCB, who play 7 matches at their home, Chinnaswamy stadium.
