IPL 2018: 5 players from Karnataka who could have helped solve RCB's problems

During the recent years in IPL, Karnataka players have performed consistently and have had a massive impact on their teams' performances. During the auction, the players from the southern state were in high demand and made headlines for being picked at exorbitant prices. KL Rahul and Manish Pandey were one of the most sought Indian players. They were grabbed by Punjab and Delhi respectively for a whopping ₹ 11 crores each.

It is sad to note that in the current playing XI, Royal Challengers Bangalore don't have a single player from Karnataka. The Red Army has had a poor start to their IPL campaign and has just registered wins against Punjab and Delhi while losing their other 3 matches. Those two wins have been majorly possible due to individual performances of Umesh Yadav and AB de Villers.

The Bangalore side has faced two major issues while selecting their team. One is the opening combination and the other is the finisher's role. Even the lower middle order of RCB looks a bit fragile with the exception of Mandeep Singh. A lot of players from Karnataka have been successful at these positions for other franchises.

Here's a look at the players who would have been a perfect fit in the Bangalore squad.

---

#5 Krishnappa Gowtham

K. Gowtham- Flying high

The 29-year-old cricketer from Bangalore is one of the leading spinners for Karnataka. Also, he is known to be a dangerous lower order batsman. Both of these qualities make him an ideal fit for T20 cricket. He was swooped by Rajasthan for a whopping sum of ₹ 6.5 crores. In the recent match for Royals, he justified his price tag and played a match-winning knock of 31 off just 11 balls.

In this season, RCB's spinners have gone for plenty of runs. Sundar has disappointed with his inconsistent performances. In his first match for RCB, he went for 48 runs and was one of the major reasons why The Red Army lost against KKR.

K. Gowtham would have been a good substitute for Sundar as the right-arm off break bowler. He has more experience and also would have given more depth to the RCB's weak lower order. Looking at Gowtham's recent blitzkrieg, RCB would feel that they missed a trick by not picking him at the auctions.

#4 Karun Nair

The stylish right-handed batsman

Players like Karun Nair reiterate the fact that T20 is not just about slam-bang cricket. His fluent stroke-play and sweet timing make him a delight to watch. Nair is a former RCB player and has since then played for four more teams. He hogged the limelight when he scored a triple century against England in 2016. His IPL record is also impressive as he has scored 1297 runs in 60 matches.

Nair’s performance in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, which includes 369 runs scored at a strike rate of 173.85, helped him get picked by KXIP for ₹ 5.6 crores at the auctions. His primary role is to anchor the innings and take the team along if there is a top order collapse.

On numerous occasions, RCB has faltered when there is a top order collapse. The Red Army also needed such a player who can hold up one end. Unfortunately, they missed out on picking up the stylish right-hander and like always are struggling when there is a top order collapse.

#3 Manish Pandey

Manish Pandey during his stint at KKR

Manish Pandey will forever be remembered for being the first Indian player to score a hundred in IPL. Incidentally, he scored his century playing for RCB in 2009. Pandey is known for his stroke-making and his athleticism on the field.

After having a successful stint with KKR, he was picked up by SRH this season. During his time at KKR, he scored consistently and was one of their star players and when KKR won the title in 2014, he scored 401 runs at an average of 30.82.

Valuable players fetch exorbitant sums. Same was the case with Pandey whose price tag of 11 crores raised quite a few eyebrows. If RCB would have picked him, he could have lent more solidity to their middle order.

#2 Robin Uthappa

Robin Uthappa

Robin Uthappa is the only player in IPL to win an orange cap and be a part of the winning team. He had a phenomenal 2014 season where he scored 660 runs at an average of 44. Notably, he has a world record for scoring most consecutive 40's(10 matches) in T20 format.

Uthappa formed a formidable pair with Gambhir and they are one of the most successful opening pairs in IPL's history. However, this season he has been assigned the crucial no 3 position and has played a couple of fantastic knocks to help KKR achieve a few victories.

One of the problematic areas for RCB is the opening combination. Uthappa's ability to open the innings coupled with his wicketkeeping abilities would have made him an ideal pick for RCB.

#1 Lokesh Rahul

KL Rahul during his time at RCB

KL Rahul is an ideal example of how a cricketer can be successful across all the formats of the game. He is only the third Indian to score a century in all the three formats. His adaptability along with versatility makes him an exciting player in the T20 circuit. By his standards, he had a sedate start to his IPL career and he performed poorly during his stint at SRH and was thus brought back by RCB in the next season.

After heavy bidding from different franchises, he was eventually picked up by KXIP for a whopping sum of ₹ 11 crores. Justifying his price tag, he had a rollicking start to the IPL. He slammed the fastest half-century (50 off 14 balls) in IPL history as he led his team’s chase of 167 against the Delhi Daredevils in Mohali. He has provided his team with ideal starts and has scores of 51, 47, 37 and 18 in the first four matches, thus far.

RCB made a huge mistake by not retaining KL Rahul. Instead, they retained an inexperienced player like Sarfaraz Khan. This gamble has not worked out and The Red Army is in danger of finishing another campaign without winning the IPL title.

Had they been prudent in the auction and choose two or three players from Karnataka, RCB would have been a stronger unit.