3 reasons why Wayne Parnell is the right replacement for Reece Topley at RCB

The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) have announced that Wayne Parnell will be joining the team for the remainder of the ongoing Indian Premier League season (IPL 2023). Parnell will be a replacement for Reece Topley.

It was confirmed on Thursday (April 6) evening that Topley had been ruled out of the tournament due to a shoulder injury. The Englishman sustained the injury while diving on the field in their first IPL 2023 match against the Mumbai Indians.

Topley clutched his arm almost immediately when the incident occurred, with many fearing the worst. RCB coach Sanjay Bangar confirmed on Thursday that the seamer has been ruled out of the tournament and the franchise will be seeking a replacement in due course.

They have now confirmed that South African left-arm seamer Parnell has been drafted in as Topley's replacement. The all-rounder has played in the IPL in the past, representing the Delhi Capitals and Sahara Pune Warriors India. Bangalore will be his third franchise in the cash-rich league.

In this article, we take a look at why the Parnell is the perfect replacement for Topley at RCB:

---

#1 Like-for-like replacement

Wayne Parnell is quite the ideal like-for-like replacement for the injured Reece Topley. RCB have essentially replaced one left-arm seamer with another with this inclusion. It's important to know that they also have David Willey in their ranks.

Willey came in for Topley in the Challenger's second IPL 2023 game against the Kolkata Knight Riders. He looked impressive, delivering figures of 2/16, including a double-wicket maiden, from his four overs.

Given the Englishman's display, it's unlikely that he will be dropped from the starting XI in the immediate future. However, if there are any injury concerns with him, Bangalore now have Parnell ready to slot in if required.

---

#2 Wayne Parnell can help RCB with their death bowling woes

It's early days in the tournament but RCB's death bowling has been a major concern for the team already. They conceded 69 runs in the last five overs in their opening contest against the Mumbai Indians, and 64 runs in the same stage against the Kolkata Knight Riders.

From their perspective, what would have been even more disappointing was that their bowlers did so after doing a fine job in the first half of the innings. Mohammed Siraj and Harshal Patel have struggled in that phase of the game and someone like Wayne Parnell could help them sort out those woes.

---

#3 Wayne Parnell can wield his willow

With the recruitment of Michael Bracewell, who seems to have been given the responsibility at No. 3 position, RCB might have left themselves slightly short-changed in the middle order. The team also still seems to be working out its best combination with the impact player rule in place.

However, the positive for them this season is that they bat fairly deep. We saw some of the hitting prowess from the likes of Willey and Akash Deep against the Knight Riders. Their decision to promote Harshal Patel in the batting order to tackle Kolkata's spin threat backfired, though.

Wayne Parnell's inclusion might be a better option in situations like this as he is a handy batter. The South African has 1,887 runs in 158 T20 innings with a strike rate of 123.65 and a high score of 99.