IPL: 3 quality RCB players who might be benched for the whole season
The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) come into the 2020 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) with a well-balanced squad that could really fight for the title.
Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers and Aaron Finch are expected to be the leaders of the batting lineup, which also has the services of veteran wicket-keeper Parthiv Patel to call upon. Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar, Chris Morris and Moeen Ali make up the all-rounders department, while Yuzvendra Chahal will lead the spin attack as always.
RCB also have Mohammed Siraj, Umesh Yadav and Navdeep Saini in a well-stocked Indian fast bowling arsenal, as the experienced Dale Steyn makes a return to the franchise.
Players who might warm the RCB bench in the 2020 IPL
In the presence of so many world-class players, these 3 players might find themselves warming the bench throughout the 2020 IPL.
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#3 Pavan Deshpande
Bought for 20 lakhs INR in the 2020 IPL auction, Karnataka all-rounder Pavan Deshpande may not get a chance in the UAE. The off-spinner has been in and around the domestic circuit for a few years now, but has played only 8 first-class and 23 List A games.
Deshpande's record in domestic T20s is impressive, with 426 runs in 15 innings at an average of 47.33 and a strike rate of 149.47. The 30-year-old's bowling, however, isn't exactly tailor-made for the 20-over format, with only 4 wickets in 20 games at an economy rate of 8.35.
The presence of Moeen Ali and Washington Sundar, along with the fact that Pawan Negi has ample experience in the IPL, might restrict Deshpande to the bench for the entirety of the 2020 season.
#2 Kane Richardson
Kane Richardson makes a return to RCB after having played for them in the 2016 IPL, but it is difficult to see him get a game for Virat Kohli's side. Veteran South African pacer Dale Steyn is definitely ahead of him in the pecking order, and Sri Lankan Isuru Udana's all-round abilities might also tilt the scales out of Richardson's favour.
The Australian has taken 127 wickets in 107 games in the Big Bash, at an economy rate of 7.9. However, the presence of three Indian pacers of a similar mould - Saini, Yadav and Siraj - doesn't bode well for Richardson. Moreover, he is expected to miss the first week of the IPL as he is part of the touring party heading to England for limited-overs fixtures.
Richardson last played an IPL game in 2016 and his wait to feature in the cash-rich league might extend beyond the upcoming season.
#1 Josh Philippe
Josh Philippe has been heralded as the next big thing in Australian cricket for some time now, and is on the fringes of the Kangaroos' limited-overs setups. His RCB teammate Aaron Finch, who is the captain of the Australian limited-overs sides, has spoken highly of the youngster but just like Richardson, both players are set to miss the first week of IPL 2020.
With Finch, Moeen and AB De Villiers shoo-ins in the side, apart from recent expensive purchase Chris Morris, Philippe might not have a role to play for RCB. The presence of Parthiv Patel behind the stumps also harms his cause, given the southpaw's prowess in the powerplay.
Had he not been called up to the Australia squad for the England tour, things might have been very different for the 23-year-old. But as things stand, Philippe might have to wait for a long time to make his IPL debut for RCB.
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