IPL 2020 Auction: 4 batsmen RCB must look to bring back into the team

RCB must address the issue of over-reliance on skipper Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers
RCB must address the issue of over-reliance on skipper Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers

Royal Challengers Bangalore had a disappointing IPL 2019 campaign, coming in last in the eight-team league with just five wins in fourteen league games. The team lost their first six games of the season, and was panned by fans and pundits alike.

This consistency in terms of failing to win must have been the primary reason behind the team management letting go of 12 out of the 25 players in their squad ahead of the IPL player auction which is to be held in Kolkata on December 19th. Having released players like Shimron Hetmyer, Dale Steyn and Marcus Stoinis, the Virat Kohli-led side has made its intentions of building a brand-new squad from scratch clear.

Despite being regarded as 'IPL's batting powerhouse' since the league's inception, their heavy reliance on Kohli and AB de Villiers in the last few seasons has been a major cause of concern. They need to address this issue by bringing in proven batsmen who could deliver under any circumstances so that both Kohli and de Villiers are able to play their natural game. Fortunately for them, they have four of their former batsmen up for grabs in the upcoming player auction.

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Here are the four batsmen RCB must look to bring back to the team in order to bolster their batting ahead of IPL 2020:


#4 Travis Head

Travis Head
Travis Head

Head, who guided the Adelaide Strikers to their first-ever Big Bash League title in season seven, represented Royal Challengers Bangalore at the 2016 and 2017 editions of the IPL. A reliable batsman, he could provide the much-need stability to RCB's middle order. The classy left-handed batsman had a moderate outing with Kohli's men during his two-year stint. Having played 10 matches across two seasons, Head managed 205 runs at a strike-rate of 138.51. An occasional off-spinner, the Aussie also has two IPL wickets to his name. His outstanding knock of 75* off 47 balls against Kolkata Knight Riders at Bengaluru in season ten proved that he is capable of making it big in the cash-rich league.

Unfortunately, the Southpaw, who has amassed 1808 runs in 72 T20s, has found no buyers in the last two editions of the IPL. Nevertheless, given his experience across different formats (6563 First-class and 3202 List A runs), the 25-year-old Adelaide Strikers skipper deserves another opportunity to prove his credentials in the T20 extravaganza. With RCB in need of a solid middle-order batsman, Head, a clean-hitter of the ball, could be an ideal option going into IPL 2020. Given his exploits with the willow in Big Bash League, he could be a valuable investment for the Royal Challengers.

# 3 Robin Uthappa

Robin Uthappa
Robin Uthappa

Apart from being a key member of India's 2007 ICC World T20 winning squad, Uthappa has been sensational in the IPL since its inception. A prolific run-scorer, the 34-year-old wicket-keeper batsman, who has played for four different IPL franchises so far, represented RCB during the 2009 and 2010 seasons.

However, he produced his best-ever IPL performance during the Kolkata Knight Riders' phenomenal IPL 2014 campaign wherein the Gautam Gambhir-led unit won their second title. In what was his first season at KKR, Uthappa emerged as the highest run-getter of season seven, having amassed 660 runs. His continued his good run for the Kolkata franchise scoring 350+ runs in the successive editions- a feat he, unfortunately, couldn't replicate last season (282 runs) which eventually led to his release.

Given his stylish batting and familiarity with the conditions at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, the RCB management would love to bring Uthappa, who has 4411 IPL runs to his name, back to Bengaluru after exactly a decade since he left.

#2 Rilee Rossouw

Rilee Rossouw
Rilee Rossouw

Rossouw's only IPL stint so far has been with Royal Challengers Bangalore during the 2014 and 2015 seasons wherein he could manage just 53 runs in five matches. Unfortunately, the southpaw did not return to the league thereafter. Despite his poor stint in the IPL, the 30-year-old has been immensely successful in the Bangladesh Premier League, the Pakistan Super League, and the Vitality Blast T20 Cup. The vastly experienced batsman has proved his mettle by amassing 7363 First-class, 5646 List A and 4245 T20 runs in his career so far.

Rossouw finished the 2018-19 Bangladesh Premier League as the tournament's highest run-getter with 558 runs for Rangpur Riders at a strike-rate of 150.00, notching up five half-centuries and a century. He went on to continue his good run in his side Quetta Gladiators' victorious 2019 Pakistan Super League campaign scoring 295 runs at a strike-rate of 135.94. Having proved his worth in other T20 leagues, Rossow could strengthen RCB's batting if he returns to Bengaluru next season.

#1 Eoin Morgan

Eoin Morgan
Eoin Morgan

2019 couldn't have been any better for England's limited-overs skipper Eoin Morgan, who was sensational with the bat, amassing 371 runs during his team's victorious ICC Cricket World Cup campaign at home. An experienced T20 campaigner (6185 runs in 282 T20s), Morgan, with his big-hitting abilities, might just be the right kind of batsman to bolster RCB's middle order. The 33-year-old, who began his IPL career with Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2010, subsequently moved on to Kolkata Knight Riders, Sunrisers Hyderabad, and Kings XI Punjab.

Having managed just 35 runs in six matches during season three, Morgan's one-year stint with RCB was a forgettable one. The Dublin-born left-handed batsman looked in a good touch (two half-centuries in six innings) during the recently concluded Abu Dhabi T10 league where he led the Delhi Bulls side. Considering his experience, 2019 World Cup exploits, and a current good run with the bat, Morgan is sure to land a lucrative IPL contract this time after missing out in the last two editions. RCB might just go all-out at the auction to secure the Englishman, who could add more firepower to the batting.

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Edited by Anurag Sharma