IPL Auction Strategy for RCB, 5 Players Royal Challengers Bangalore can Target

IPL Auction Strategy for RCB: ‘Fate of IPL teams is decided less on the ground and more on the auction table,’ you must have heard commentators say this cliched line during IPL games several times. Although, a bit far-fetched, the statement underlines the importance of the auction for an IPL franchise.

Royal Challengers Banglore has had frustrating seasons in the IPL, and as the franchise gears up to better their performance in the IPL 2021, The 2021 IPL Auction is a good place to start their 2021 campaign. The team of 2020 was a lot better than the previous editions and the results showed it as the franchise reached the play-off stage. However, a few gaping holes still exist and the IPL 2021 auction could be the best time to repair them.

Here we provide the IPL strategy and look at the 5 Players Royal Challengers Bangalore can target. The team has a purse of INR 34.9 crores and can buy a maximum of 11 players.

1. Jason Roy:

WIth D Padikkal as an opener and the likes of V Kohli and AB de Villiers to follow, RCB have a solid top-order batting core. But what they lack is a bit of flamboyance to exploit the powerplay overs. A Finch was roped in with that intention but he didn’t deliver. And from the current lot of available players, who else can give a better start than the aggressive Jason Roy?

Roy has a strike-rate of 142.74 in T20s and has scored close to 6000 runs in 225 innings. He averages 27.76 and has slammed 4 centuries and 40 fifties. He does have a bit of weakness against spin bowling but on a small ground like Chinnaswammy, he can wreak havoc.

2. Alex Hales:

The alternative for J Roy is his former England opening partner Alex Hales. The right-hand batsman’s international future may be uncertain, but he still remains a force to reckon with in white-ball cricket as he showed in the recent Big Bash. Hales was the leading run-getter in the tournament with 543 runs at an average of 38.78 and had 4 fifty-plus scores in 15 innings. What probably speaks the most about his prowess is his strike-rate of 161.60.

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He averages 30.14 in T20 cricket and has made close to 8 thousand runs at a strike-rate of 144.31. If he gets going, RCB may have the most lethal top-four in the tournament.

3. Jhye Richardson:

The world has (somewhat) moved on after the wrath of the Covid pandemic and we have found the vaccines too. But RCB is still struggling with their age-old headache of death overs bowling.

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Mitchell Starc would have been on RCB’s hit-list for this IPL auction 2021 but with his absence, the franchise can eye Jhye Richardson. The pacer can bowl quick and is also accurate. Most importantly, he is in the form of his life. He was the leading wicket-taker in the Big Bash 2021 and ended with 29 scalps from 17 games. His strike-rate of 12.7 was impressive and his economy rate of 7.69 makes him the ideal bowler for RCB. He has 78 wickets in 62 T20s.

4. Mark Wood:

Talking about bowlers who can bowl at pace that troubles the batsman, Mark Wood cannot be missed in the discussion. The England pacer brings the X factor and can give Virat Kohli a wicket-taking option, something he had rarely so far.

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He has 38 wickets in 32 T20 games and has a strike-rate of 17.2 and averages 23.86 per wicket. His economy-rate of 8.28 is on the higher side but RCB won’t mind that if he can pick wickets regularly.

5. David Malan:

In a line-up of D Paddikal and V Kohli, D Malan might look a surplus. However, his presence could end up benefiting RCB heavily. Malan can be a slow starter but he is an insanely consistent batter and can hold one end up till eternity.

Malan’s such solid presence at the other end could help Kohli bat with sheer freedom at number four where he can unleash his aggressive game which he has shown a glimpse of on certain occasions. It also allows RCB to have ABD as the finisher where he can come and start batting in the fifth gear, a role he can play to perfection.

Malan T20I record is surreal. He averages a whopping 53.43 with 855 runs. Importantly, he has 10 fifty-plus scores in 19 innings. His strike-rate of 149.47 reveals that surely makes up for his slow starts.

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