IPL 2019: Why Virat Kohli should try to have Pujara in the RCB side

Cheteshwar Pujara has long been considered a Test specialist. His game is not deemed suitable for the limited over formats, especially for the shortest format. That is the reason why despite being one of India’s best ever in the test format, he has not got enough opportunity to prove himself.

When he came to the national reckoning, there was some expectation that he could adapt his game to the limited overs format, just the way his role model Rahul Dravid had done. However, he could not capitalize on whatever limited opportunities he got to play for India in ODIs and T20Is, and as a result, found himself out of the limited over Indian sides.

However, a case could be made that he is too good a player to not be of any value to at least some of the IPL sides, especially the sides that have traditionally lacked solidity in their batting. That is where a side like Royal Challengers Bangalore could make use of Pujara.

RCB may have possibly the most potent batting side of all IPL franchises. But it is a top-heavy side and sometimes struggles to put on a good score or chase a target. This may not be true at the Chinnaswamy pitch which is too flat and Pujara’s lack of hitting ability is a major hindrance for his inclusion in the side, there.

But on some pitches where there is some help for the bowlers, the team may not need too high a target to set and while chasing, may not have a daunting target. That is when more than flashy shot-making and solid technique could come in handy. Pujara could be played in some of those matches where batting is not easy.

Moreover, even when Pujara does not play, his presence in the dressing room could be of a lot of use. Kohli and co. could certainly benefit a lot from Pujara’s inputs. A low base price of 50 lakh INR should be another incentive for RCB to go for Pujara in the auction.