TATA IPL 2022: RCB's Pace Bowling Arsenal a decent mix of youth and experience

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) full squad details, analysis, list of bought players at auction and possible playing XI for IPL 2022.

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) think tank during the IPL 2022 Auction. (©BCCI/IPL)

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) remain one of the most polarizing cricketing franchises in the world. Though an IPL title has eluded them, they have entertained the fans thoroughly. It has been home to some of the superstars of the game: AB de Villiers, Chris Gayle, Shane Watson, Yuvraj Singh and Kevin Pietersen, just to name a few.

Ahead of IPL 2022 mega-auction, the team hit a reset button and set out to build a squad around Virat Kohli, Glenn Maxwell and Mohammed Siraj. The red and gold army entered the auction with a purse of 57 crores and added 19 more players to their squad. Let’s take a look at how they fared during the auction in each department.

Royal Challengers Bangalore Squad

Faf du Plessis, Virat Kohli, Glenn Maxwell, Anuj Rawat (WK), Dinesh Karthik (WK), Shahbaz Ahmed, Wanindu Hasaranga, Harshal Patel, Josh Hazlewood, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Suyash Prabhudesai, Luvnith Sisodia, Aneeshwar Gautam, Jason Behrendorff, Karn Sharma, David Willey, Siddarth Kaul, Chama Milind, Mahipal Lomror, Sherfane Rutherford, Finn Allen.

Batters and Wicketkeepers - Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis, Dinesh Karthik, Finn Allen, Suyash Prabhudesai, Anuj Rawat

Bangalore's first major buy of the day one was Faf du Plessis. RCB bought du Plessis for INR 7 crore. He is a stable batter who can accelerate throughout the innings and provides a captaincy option as well. Faf has been a consistent performer throughout IPL’s glorious history and served the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) loyally, providing them with solid starts.

In Dinesh Karthik, the franchise will find a wicketkeeping option and a tried and tested finisher. RCB was being dubbed as a top-heavy team lately and through Karthik, one can see that they have tried to address those concerns.

Finn Allen is an upcoming hard-hitting batter from New Zealand. The 22-year-old was also slotted as Josh Phillipe’s replacement and Bangalore has decided to invest more time in the youngster. The addition of quality domestic talents in Suyash Prabhudesai and Anuj Rawat further boosts their Indian batting reserves.

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All-rounders - Glenn Maxwell, Wanindu Hasaranga, Sherfane Rutherford, David Willey, Mahipal Lamror, Shahbaz Ahmed, Aneeshwar Gautam

Bangalore have always been big on bits and pieces all-rounders and we see that trend continue here as well. Bangalore shelled out big bucks (INR 10.75 crore) to buy back the services of Wanindu Hasaranga. The Sri Lankan youngster is a quality leg-spinner with plenty of variations up his sleeves. He will not only be expected to fill up big shoes of Yuzvendra Chahal but also slot in as a lower-order batter.

Fast bowling all-rounders are a rare commodity and like many other teams, Bangalore turned to offshore options in Sherfane Rutherford and David Willey. Rutherford comes from the assembly line which has produced the likes of Pollards and Russells of the world who can give you two to three overs of medium pace and can bludgeon the ball coming in late down the order. The credentials and performances kept aside there is a lot of talent and potential there. David Willey provides a similar alternative but he is a far more potent bowler with a proven track record of picking wickets early on.

Bowlers - Mohammed Siraj, Harshal Patel, Josh Hazlewood, Akash Deep, Siddarth Kaul, Jason Behrendorff, Karn Sharma, Chama Milind

Harshal Patel finished IPL 2021 with a record-breaking 32 wickets and kept the batters and team analysts on their feet with his slower ball variations. His performance was rewarded by a big pay-cheque and he can also tonk the ball coming in late down the order.

Josh Hazlewood has taken some giant strides as a T20 bowler. The Aussie quick formed a lethal part of CSK’s pace quartet and picked up regular wickets upfront with the new ball. In Jason Behrendorff and Chama Milind, RCB have bolstered their left-arm pace wing and we can see how they are trying to address their problem of not picking up wickets upfront. Bengal pacer Akash Deep is also a key addition to the squad.

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RC) Possible Playing XI for IPL 2022

Faf du Plessis (os), Anuj Rawat, Virat Kohli, Glenn Maxwell (os), Dinesh Karthik (WK), Mahipal Lomror, Wanindu Hasaranga (os), Shahbaz Ahmed, Harshal Patel, Mohammed Siraj, Josh Hazlewood (os)

Alternate XI

Faf du Plessis (os), Virat Kohli, Anuj Rawat, Glenn Maxwell (os), Dinesh Karthik (WK), Mahipal Lomror, Wanindu Hasaranga (os), Shahbaz Ahmed, Harshal Patel, Mohammed Siraj, Josh Hazlewood (os)/David Willey

*os - overseas

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Royal Challengers Squad Overview

Bangalore have tried to address concerns from the previous seasons but the simple fact is the middle-order now looks depleted without AB de Villiers. Dinesh Karthik can finish games for them but without ABD around you are asking a lot from Glenn Maxwell. This was their chance to build a long-term squad with focus on Indian players. However, they have gone with a different approach.

Another player who will be under a lot of pressure to do well is Hasaranga. There is no denial of quality but the mind wonders if they would have been better served with a domestic leg-spinner. Glenn Maxwell, Faf Du Plessis, Josh Hazlewood and Wanindu Hasaranga will be key to their balance and performance.

The 15th season of the tournament is likely to kick off on March 27. Even though the BCCI is yet to publish the full schedule, the games could take place in Mumbai and Pune behind close doors due to COVID-19 pandemic.

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