3 players who can replace Rajat Patidar at RCB for IPL 2023
IPL 2023 has been a season of injuries and players pulling out, and joining the list is Royal Challengers Bangalore batter Rajat Patidar. Ahead of their upcoming match against Kolkata Knight Riders, RCB announced another unfortunate development.
In a statement released today, RCB confirmed that Rajat Patidar, one of their star players, will miss the entire season due to an Achilles heel injury.
Expressing their disappointment at the news, RCB wished Patidar a speedy recovery and pledged their continued support during his rehabilitation process. While the management and coaches have not yet announced a replacement player for Patidar, RCB are confident of the team's ability to perform at the highest level in his absence.
Unfortunately, Rajat Patidar has been ruled out of #IPL2023 due to an Achilles Heel injury. 💔
We wish Rajat a speedy recovery and will continue to support him during the process. 💪
The coaches and management have decided not to name a replacement player for Rajat just yet. 🗒️ https://t.co/c76d2u70SY
Here, we take a look at three players who could possibly replace Rajat Patidar for RCB in IPL 2023:
#3 Rohan Kunnummal
Rohan Kunnummal has been in sparkling form on the domestic circuit and could be snapped up in place of Rajat Patidar. The Kerala opener has already caught the attention of the national selectors. He scored four centuries in five first-class matches a few months ago.
Kunnummal was also in roaring form in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. He smashed a 28-ball 77 against Arunachal Pradesh and followed it up with a sublime 134 against Goa at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Tuesday.
Kunnummal will gain valuable experience in the RCB camp and will offer plenty of cushion and depth to a side that already has Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis, and Glenn Maxwell.
#2 Saurabh Kumar
Saurabh Kumar, an orthodox left-arm spinner from Uttar Pradesh, could also be a replacement for Rajat Patidar. Saurabh has been in stellar form in the Ranji Trophy and was even named in India’s Test squad for the series against Bangladesh.
In the 2019-20 domestic season, the left-arm spinner had 44 wickets at 21.09 in eight Ranji Trophy games. This included five five-wicket hauls.
In 2020-21, Saurabh snapped up 70 wickets in 13 first-class games. He is known for his accuracy and for constantly challenging the batters.
Saurabh can add another dimension to the RCB bowling attack and give them the luxury of having all bases covered.
#1 Abhimanyu Easwaran
Abhimanyu Easwaran, the 27-year-old skipper of India A from Bengal, boasts an impressive record in all formats of cricket.
In 78 first-class games Easwaran averages 45.33, and in as many List A games, he averages 46.24. He has amassed over 5000 FC and 3000 List A runs, but has not yet made his debut for India.
In T20s, Easwaran has scored 728 runs in 27 matches with an average of 38.31, including one century and three half-centuries. Although he is yet to play in the IPL, he could be snapped up by RCB given that he'd offer a lot of solidity at the top of the order.