IPL 2018: Proven all-rounders who could have helped RCB's cause this season

No other team can hit sixes as easily as the Royal Challengers do. But when it comes to restricting the opposition within the first six overs of power-play and the last six overs of the innings, they struggle. The Bangalore franchise has always been the powerhouse of batting when it comes to the Indian Premier League and this season has been no exception. But when it comes to addressing their prime weakness- the death overs bowling, they have failed to find a perfect solution over the years.

After acquiring the services of all-rounders Chris Woakes, Colin de Grandhomme and Corey Anderson, Kohli would have hoped for a turnaround in the death-overs bowling. But the collective failure of those players have put the Royal Challengers in a spot of bother. With Anderson going for 58 runs against the Chennai Super Kings during RCB's crunch-game at Chinnaswamy stadium, questions arise whether they can defend their batsmen's contribution. Some proven all-rounders who went unsold at this year's auctions, could have served RCB better this season. Let us now look at those players.

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#1 Moises Henriques

The Aussie all-rounder has played for five different IPL franchises so far- Kolkata Knight Riders, Delhi Daredevils, Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Sunrisers Hyderabad. Henriques was a part of the Sunrisers squad that won the title in 2016 under David Warner.

Henriques is an ideal T20 specialist, having played for the Sydney Sixers since the beginning of the Big Bash and for several English county teams. He is an experienced campaigner when it comes to the IPL, having played 57 matches scoring 969 runs at a strike-rate of 128.17.

The Aussie has been equally good in his bowling, as he has 38 wickets to his name. He can contribute with the bat in the lower-middle order, as well as bowl well in the death overs, which remains to be the major headache for Kohli's men this season. Especially, his scorching toe-crushers and pace variations make him the ideal death-over specialist bowler.

#2 Thisara Perera

Thisara Perera

Perera has played for six different IPL franchises in his career- the Chennai Super Kings, Kochi Tuskers Kerala, Mumbai Indians, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Kings XI Punjab and Rising Pune Supergiant. His first ever IPL stint was with the Chennai Super Kings in 2010 where he played just one season and was a part of the title-winning squad. He played for Mumbai in the 2012 IPL and represented them in just two matches. After his Mumbai stint, he moved to the Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2013, where he was successful, scoring 233 runs and picking up 19 wickets in 16 matches.

Overall in 37 IPL matches, the Sri Lankan all-rounder has scored 422 runs at a strike-rate of 137.45 with his highest score being 40. He has 31 wickets to his name at an economy of 8.73, with his best figures being 3 for 20. A proven match winner, Perera has done a pretty decent job in bowling the death-overs- be it for Sri Lanka or for his T20 franchises and his 30-plus IPL wickets are the perfect example of that. With his slow-deliveries and yorkers, Perera would have been an asset to the Royal Challengers this season.

#3 James Faulkner

James Faulkner

The Man of the Match of the 2015 World cup final has played for four different franchises in the IPL so far- the Pune Warriors India, Kings XI Punjab, Rajasthan Royals and Gujarat Lions. Faulkner, who plays for Tasmania in the domestic circuit, has played for the Melbourne Stars and Lancashire in the Big Bash League and English county, respectively. He has been with the Melbourne franchise since the inception of the Big Bash (2011) and has been immensely successful, scoring 556 runs and picking up 45 wickets in 38 innings.

He has an economy of 7.60 in the Big Bash. In 60 IPL matches, Faulkner has scored 527 runs at a strike-rate of 135.47 and has taken 59 wickets at an economy of 8.69, with his best figures being 5 for 16. Till date, he is the only bowler to take two five-wicket hauls in the IPL. With his vast T20 experience, bowling variations and scorching yorkers he could have served RCB well this season had he gotten a chance.