IPL auction: RCB will look to fill gaping holes in bowling

Barring pacer Siraj, there isn’t a match-winning bowler in the RCB ranks after the Bengaluru franchise released Hazlewood, Harshal and Hasaranga

A consequence of the transfer saga that saw Hardik Pandya switch from Gujarat Titans to Mumbai Indians was Australian all-rounder Cameron Green joining Royal Challengers Bangalore at the end of the trading window. With Mumbai having to free up funds in their pursuit of Pandya, they decided to let go of Green after he was acquired for ₹17.5 crore ahead of the 16th season.

Where RCB have many gaps to plug is clearly in the bowling department (AFP)

The trade may be viewed as RCB accepting a Mumbai Indians discard, but there’s potential for Green to be one of the signings of the season. In his inaugural IPL campaign, Green — projected as the next big star in Australian cricket ever since he made his international debut three years ago — did no harm to his reputation, scoring 452 runs in 16 matches at a strike rate of 160.28 including a century. He also claimed six wickets.

If Green can find his bearings in RCB’s red and gold, he will add further heft to a solid batting unit. At the moment, the top six is likely to comprise skipper Faf du Plessis, Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Glenn Maxwell, Green and Dinesh Karthik.

If they click collectively, their ammunition is such that they can saunter to totals of 200-plus regularly. Maxwell, in particular, will evoke fear in opposition attacks after a sensational run for Australia in the ODI World Cup. While he was hit-and-miss during his stint with Punjab Kings, he has been far more reliable at RCB, contributing 1214 runs at an average just below 35 and a strike rate of 161.43 across three seasons.

Where RCB have many gaps to plug is clearly in the bowling department. It’s been a perennial shortcoming for the franchise, which is why an IPL title has remained elusive even after 16 seasons.

Barring pacer Mohammed Siraj, who claimed 19 scalps in 14 matches last season, there isn’t anybody in the current squad who's a proven performer at this stage. In the window available to release players, RCB decided to part ways with Josh Hazlewood, Harshal Patel and Wanindu Hasaranga.

It means that their salary cap of ₹23.25 crore will have to be used predominantly in shoring up the bowling unit. As new coach Andy Flower informed after they released as many as 11 players on deadline day, Hazlewood’s departure had nothing to do with his performances. “Josh Hazlewood…very pleasingly, has a baby on the way, due in March. So, Josh won’t be with us, certainly not for the first half of the season,” Flower said.

While the tall Australian pacer played only three games this year, he had excelled in 2022, picking 20 wickets in 12 matches as the franchise finished third. By releasing Harshal, they have also let go of a pivotal member of the RCB attack over the past three seasons.

In the quest to replace Hazlewood, RCB may pursue signing either Mitchell Starc or Pat Cummins. Interest in Starc seems all the more probable even though they have England’s left-arm pacer Reece Topley given the Australian’s sensational returns during his two-season stint in 2014 and 2015 — he took 34 wickets in 24 matches. If Starc’s alliance with RCB wasn’t more fruitful, it was only because he decided to stay out of IPL and prioritise his commitments with the national team.

For RCB to get Starc back won’t be easy though. A number of teams, possibly including Chennai Super Kings, Gujarat Titans and Kolkata Knight Riders, will be wanting to add an overseas fast bowler to the mix.

Even more pressing is their need to bolster the spin attack. With Hasaranga no longer in the squad, RCB have a dearth of spinners who can play a prominent part. Leg-spinner Karn Sharma and left-arm spinner Mayank Dagar toil sincerely in domestic cricket, but to expect them to step up against some of the world's best players may be unreasonable. Among the overseas spinners available in the auction, Afghanistan’s Mujeeb Ur Rahman, England’s Adil Rashid and South Africa’s Tabraiz Shamsi may be in RCB's radar. They also have the option of picking Murugan Ashwin, who played eight games for Mumbai Indians in 2022, if the demand is for a domestic spinner.

Unless they can solve the bowling jigsaw, their fortunes are unlikely to change.