IPL 2019: 4 players RCB must purchase to make a title-winning team

RCB seem to have a thin squad going into the December auctions but these signings could bring about a change in fortunes.

Royal Challengers Bangalore( RCB) have been the perennial underachievers in the seasons of the IPL bygone. While they have had star names like Chris Gayle, Dale Steyn, Jacques Kallis formerly in their ranks, and the current duo of Virat and ABD, nothing seems to have gone their way.

So this season, RCB has let go of most of their star batsmen, but have decided to persist with the same crop of bowlers and all-rounders, apart from roping in Marcus Stoinis in the trade window.

So as they head into the auction with a fragile batting, a low, measly budget of 18.15 Cr, and players' World Cup commitments, here are 5 players who could change their fortunes if surely signed by the franchise:

#1 Sherfane Rutherford

Rutherford could be the replacement for Chris Gayle that RCB have been seeking

Though not a household name in international cricket yet, just take a look at this 20 year-old's numbers: 230 runs from 8 matches in the Global Canada T20 league for West Indies B (which included a match-winning 134*) at a strike rate of 173, finishing as the third-highest run-getter in that tournament, coupled with 7 wickets of pace bowling at a respectable economy of 7.4.

Although his CPL 2018 performance for Guyana Amazon Warriors was overshadowed by Shimron Hetmyer's brilliance, he still amassed 171 runs from 7 innings at a strike rate of 142, playing at various positions, and played some fast-paced match winning innings which took his team to the finals. He has continued his batting exploits in the controversial T 10 league as well.

He is considered a dangerous hard-hitter of the ball and is a destructive opener, who can also play as a pinch-hitter lower down the innings. His all-round capabilities and flexibility in batting position are a big plus for any team, and this should help the RCB in a humongous way.

His big-hitting abilities make him ideal for the RCB at the top of the order, more so as a long-term replacement for the legendary Chris Gayle. Although he may be an unheralded player, RCB should certainly pick him in the auctions. The fact that he is a surprise package would help as RCB could buy him for cheap money, and then spring a surprise or two on the other teams.

#2 Tom Latham

Tom Latham could be the solution to RCB's "muddle in the middle"

Tom Latham is one of the most classy and consistent batsmen in world cricket today. His batting prowess is clearly underrated. He has gone on to make numerous partnerships for the Kiwis with the likes of Ross Taylor, Henry Nicholls, Kane Williamson,etc., and is a handy wicket-keeper. He is a great player of spin, and this was seen in the limited overs series the Kiwis played in India in 2017.

He is a good option in the middle order and would provide the stability and depth that RCB have evidently desired in the seasons before. His World Cup commitments would not be a hindrance as the NZ cricket board has allowed their players to play the complete IPL. He would clearly be a like-for-like replacement for Quinton de Kock, if not better. His underrated potential could make him a bargain buy for RCB.

#3 Ravikumar Samarth

R Samarth

This Karnataka lad has gone from strength to strength in the past few Ranji seasons and is being touted by experts as one of the future stars of Indian cricket. He has been in top form for both Karnataka and India-A for a while now. Although he has no prior IPL experience, he would be a great buy for RCB due to his sheer experience of the Chinnaswamy conditions. He is a talented player and could very well fill in the void left by the departure of Mandeep Singh.

Adding him in the squad would also help keep the local flavour in the RCB setup, thus connecting with the fans in a huge way. His consistency is remarkable and he could partner Virat Kohli and ABD to make a strong top 4. Picking him would be a bargain deal, with not many teams showing too much attention towards such a big talent.

#4 Yuvraj Singh

Yuvraj could be re-united with Virat Kohli

While this man needs no introduction, the reasoning behind this choice at the auctions would need some rational backing. Yuvraj is an experienced customer, who is pretty much past his prime. While he offers all-round abilities, RCB would mainly choose him because of the stability he offers lower down the order. If RCB were to pick him, he would not come to bat at his usual position of number 4, but could bat way lower down( maybe no.7). His bowling though would be of a slightly larger demand as RCB need variety in bowling.

If RCB pick him, they may not get him at a lower price but his experience would be worth the money spent. On his day, he can single-handedly knock the winds out of any team with both bat and ball, and even he manages that once or twice the whole season, it would mean a lot for a team like RCB who always misses out on playoff qualification by a meager 2-4 points.

The fact that the team is not entirely dependent on him would allow him to play more freely. His camaraderie with captain Virat would certainly help the team's cause, and this could propel RCB to greater heights.

Apart from these four players, RCB could always look out for potential replacements like Axar Patel, Wriddhiman Saha, Gautam Gambhir, Dhruv Shorey among others. Even local Karnataka players like Mohammed Taha and KV Siddharth can be of high utility in this squad if picked and given a chance.

Analysis:

Considering that all four of the above-mentioned players are picked, then the best RCB eleven would be the following ( in batting order):

Rutherford, Virat, ABD, Parthiv(WK), Samarth, Colin de Grandhomme, Yuvraj Singh, Tim Southee, Mohd. Siraj, Umesh, Chahal.

The advantages of this kind of an eleven are plenty. First of all the top 5 looks strong, stable and attacking. These top 5 are pretty flexible with batting positions as well, with most players playing all positions with ease. Rutherford, Parthiv, and Samarth provide an ideal support cast for the star duo of Virat and AB de Villiers. Parthiv and Rutherford are brisk players who would keep the scoreboard ticking, while Samarth offers solid resistance to a top order collapse.

The finishing department looks solid with Grandhomme and Yuvraj in the mix. Both these players can hit the ball cleanly and can always finish the innings off when asked to. They can easily accomplish the task of pinch hitting and can easily be the strongest possible lower middle order for RCB.

The bowling setup is similar to the previous season. As has been the RCB's strategy, they have decided to back their bowling unit from the previous edition of the IPL, and hence most part of the bowling remains the same. To solve this woesome department for the RCB, the addition of Rutherford's consistent pace and Yuvraj's experienced left-arm orthodox would certainly help.

Yuvraj could complement Chahal in the spin department, and could be a force to reckon with at the small ground of Chinnaswamy. If the batsmen manage to pile up big runs, then this bowling unit is more than sufficient to churn out wins for the batting-dependent team.

If Yuvraj is replaced with Washington Sundar or Pawan Negi, either of them is equally capable of donning the role of the pinch hitter and the second spinner. If Tom Latham comes into the picture, either of Rutherford or Grandhomme could make way, and an extra Indian bowler could be played, thus not hurting the balance of the side.

RCB has always been about individual brilliance, and these signings would help merge more such individual brilliance into a combined team effort, which is the right mantra for success.