IPL 2020: 3 overseas players Royal Challengers Bangalore could consider at the upcoming auction

#2 Kusal Perara

The hard-hitting Sri Lankan wicketkeeper-batsman might be another option for RCB as an alternative opener and a reserve wicketkeeper.

In the 2019 IPL season, Heinrich Klaasen was the reserve keeper for RCB with Parthiv Patel being the main wicketkeeper. Klaasen did not have the best of seasons in 2019; in three matches, he scored just nine runs at an average of 4.50.

Kusal Perara declined an IPL contract in the year 2018 when Sunrisers Hyderabad approached him to replace David Warner. However, that was only because he wanted to focus on domestic cricket and earn a recall to the Sri Lankan Test squad.

The left-handed wicketkeeper-batsman is a regular for Sri Lanka in all formats now, and a match-winner on his own. He can play the big shots early in the innings and take advantage of the power play overs. He can also accelerate the scoring rate towards the end of the innings, which is what RCB have been lacking in the last three seasons.

Perara has a strike rate of 135.37 in T20 internationals and is a handy keeper too. The Sri Lankan will be a welcome addition to the RCB outfit.

About the author

Meit is a cricket journalist who has been working at Sportskeeda for over eight years, writing listicles. A Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Legislative Laws and Company Secretary degree holder, Meit engages in ethical reporting by verifying information twice from multiple websites before penning down any content for the benefit of his readers.

A passionate fan of Team India, Cricket has a special place in his heart owing to the way the sport has continued to evolve over the years. He is also thrilled by the competitiveness on display across all formats in the sport. His favorite cricketer is Sachin Tendulkar and reckons that his childhood idol's dominance over world-class bowlers in the 1990s speaks volumes about his skills and achievements.

Meit has had the privilege of interviewing Indian speedster Ishant Sharma and India Women's legend Mithali Raj so far in his professional career.

If he ever laid his hands on a time machine, Meit would love to witness the 2023 ICC World Cup final between India and Australia and believes that ODIs should never be completely replaced by T20Is owing to the format's popularity.

When not working, he likes to read and travel.

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Edited by Musab Abid