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

Royal Challengers Bangalore finished last in the 2019 season
Royal Challengers Bangalore finished last in the 2019 season

Royal Challengers Bangalore have qualified for the IPL final on three occasions - in the years 2009, 2011 and 2016. However, they are yet to win the coveted IPL trophy.

The team, led by Virat Kohli, have had a horrendous run in the last three years. They finished last on the points table in the years 2017 and 2019, and sixth out of eight teams in 2018.

The skipper Kohli will be keen to get his team to a winning start in the upcoming season of the IPL. To that end, the management will have their eye on certain players in the 2020 auction.

On that note, here is a look at three overseas players RCB may look to target at the auction.


#1 Aaron Finch

Aaron Finch
Aaron Finch

The Australian skipper in the limited overs format is one of the most destructive openers in the T20 format.

Aaron Finch has played for seven different teams in the IPL in the past, and RCB could be his eighth team in the year 2020. The Australian, who withdrew his name from the 2019 IPL to prepare for the 2019 World Cup, will be on the radar of many teams this IPL.

RCB lacked a specialist opener in the IPL last year who could get them to an attacking start from the word go. They preferred to open with Virat Kohli and Parthiv Patel for most of the season; while Kohli was good, he is even better at number 3 and would love to have someone else take up the opening responsibility this season.

Finch has the ability to score big runs in T20 cricket, and in 53 T20 internationals he has two hundreds to his credit. He has a highest score of 172 in T20Is, and an astonishing strike rate of 156.59.

Finch has played well even in IPL cricket. In 73 innings the opener has scored 1737 runs at an average of 25.93 and a strike rate of 130.7, with 13 half centuries.

The presence of Finch at the top of the order will be a huge bonus for RCB in the 2020 IPL season.

Also see – World Test Championship points table

#2 Kusal Perara

Kusal Perara
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.

#3 Pat Cummins

Pat Cummins
Pat Cummins

The RCB pace attack, consisting of the Indian pace trio of Umesh Yadav, Navdeep Saini and Mohammed Siraj, has been underwhelming to say the least. The team needs a fast bowler with international experience to strengthen the attack.

Nathan Coulter-Nile got injured mid-way through the 2019 IPL season and Dale Steyn was signed up as his replacement. Steyn's impact on the RCB unit was massive, but he could play just two games before getting injured himself. In those two matches, Steyn picked up four wickets at an average of 17.25.

With Steyn and Coulter-Nile being injury prone, RCB would be looking for a fast bowler who can play the full season without any injury niggles.

Australian fast bowler Pat Cummins skipped the 2019 IPL to keep himself fit for the 2019 World Cup and the Ashes. He is one of the best pacers in world cricket at present and he can bowl both fast and accurate. He had a good World Cup too, and can be a huge asset for the struggling RCB bowling unit.

Cummins has worked hard on his fitness and will be keen to participate in the 2020 IPL season. He has performed remarkably well in T20 internationals; in 21 matches, he has picked up 27 wickets at an average of 20.67 and strike rate of 17.78. What makes Cummins even more impressive is his economy rate of 6.97.

The right-arm pacer can control the flow of runs in the powerplays and also in the death overs, and can pick up wickets at regular intervals. He is a handy batsman lower down the order too, and can score quick runs when needed.

RCB would be keen to utilise his services for the 2020 IPL season.

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Edited by Musab Abid