IPL 2022 Auction: 3 reasons why Mahipal Lomror should bat at no. 3 for RCB

Rajasthan all-rounder Mahipal Lomror has a new home, with Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) securing his services at the IPL 2022 Auction. Lomror, who represented India in the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2016, was with Rajasthan Royals (RR) over the last four seasons of the league.

A left-handed batting all-rounder, Mahipal Lomror chips in with useful overs of left-arm spin. His biggest strength remains is ability to hit la long ball down the ground, particularly against spin.

RCB shelled out ₹95 lakh for Mahipal Lomror at the IPL 2022 Auction

At the IPL 2022 Auction, RCB picked up Mahipal Lomror for a sum of ₹ 95 lakh, staving off competition from the Royals. Lomror might have a significant role for the team previously led by Virat Kohli. The upcoming season could prove to be a breakout season for the young lad's career.

Here, we dissect three reasons as to why Lomror should be RCB's no.3 option in the batting order:

#3 Mahipal Lomror - a relentless spin basher

Mahipal Lomror's biggest strength on the batting front is his ability to take down spin at will. This factor could prove to be crucial to RCB's chances, making his signing at the IPL 2022 Auction a valuable one.

With Virat Kohli likely to open the batting with Faf du Plessis, the Challengers have two solid players of quality pace bowling at the top. However, both batters are on the slower side when it comes to forcing the issue against spin in the middle-overs.

RCB has been crippled by a lack of acceleration post the Powerplay and that's where Lomror could be a handy option. Using him at 3 could allow him to take on the tweakers and infuse momentum into the innings - something that he is known to do in domestic cricket.

Lomror gave a good account of his spin-bashing abilities during his 17-ball 43 run onslaught against Punjab Kings in IPL 2021. That knock alone raised his stock multifold ahead of the IPL 2022 Auction, making him one of the many valuable options to complete any outfit.

Expect him to do more of the same for his new team this time, and batting him at three will give him the ideal platform to pull it off.

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#2 Lomror brings in left-handed variety

Apart from Kohli and du Plessis, RCB's first XI is likely to feature Glenn Maxwell, Dinesh Karthik and Wanindu Hasaranga in their top seven. That makes it five right-handers already, inevitably warranting the presence of a couple of left-handers to complement them.

Mahipal Lomror has become a choice in that regard, even as he faces competition from the likes of Anuj Rawat and Aneeshwar Gautam. With Maxwell and Karthik likely to occupy numbers 4 and 5 in the batting order, Lomror seamlessly fits in at 3.

Lomror isn't averse to batting at the no. 3 position either, having done so quite often for Rajasthan in domestic cricket. With him occupying that spot, it opens up the Challengers' flexibility to play a left-right combination for a good part in the middle-overs phase. This appears to be a sureshot bargain deal RCB made at the IPL 2022 Auction.

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#1 Potential successor to the floating number 3 policy

Sandwiched between Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, and Glenn Maxwell, RCB used the philosophy of a floating number 3 to significant effect in IPL 2021. While Rajat Patidar donned the role for large parts of the first leg of the tournament, KS Bharat excelled in the second leg.

This time around, the role could fall to Mahipal Lomror. Should an early wicket fall in the powerplay, one could reasonably expect Lomror to pad up and stride to the crease.

However, a wicketless Powerplay could see Lomror held back by Glenn Maxwell. Maxwell is arguably the biggest match-winner in the RCB ranks. This policy worked wonders for the side last season, meaning that they could well stick with the same in IPL 2022.

Lomror's spin-bashing abilities put him in the mix for the same role, given that he has shown adaptability across different batting positions. Should favorable matchups fall into his hands in the second half of the innings, Lomror could well turn out to be one of RCB's X-factors.

These reasons make Lomror, 22, a valuable acquisition made by the Bangalore franchise at the IPL 2022 Auction. With his best years very much ahead of him, he could go on to serve the franchise for a long time to come.

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