On Friday, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) made two announcements regarding replacements for injured players. South Africa’s left-arm pacer Wayne Parnell will replace England’s Reece Topley, who had to return home after dislocating his shoulder during the IPL 2023 game against Mumbai Indians last week. Additionally, Vyshak Vijay Kumar will replace Indian batter Rajat Patidar, who is also out due to an injury.
During the KKR vs RCB game on Thursday, RCB’s batting coach Sanjay Bangar had already hinted at two more replacements joining the squad soon. Australian pacer Josh Hazlewood and Sri Lanka’s mystery spinner Wanindu Hasaranga is set to join the team shortly.
RCB’s crisis management
RCB’s management has been proactive in dealing with the injury crisis and ensuring that the team has adequate replacements to maintain the squad’s balance and performance. With the inclusion of Parnell and Vijay Kumar and the anticipated arrival of Hazlewood and Hasaranga, RCB will be hoping to continue their impressive run in the tournament.
South African left-arm pacer Wayne Parnell has an impressive T20 record, having played 56 T20Is for his country, as well as 6 Tests and 73 ODIs. He has taken 59 wickets in T20Is and has previously played 26 IPL matches, taking multiple wickets. Parnell has been signed by RCB for Rs 75 lakh as a replacement for the injured Reece Topley.
Vyashak Vijay in for Patidar
Vyashak Vijay Kumar, who will replace Rajat Patidar in the RCB squad, has represented Karnataka in domestic cricket and has taken 22 wickets in 14 T20 matches. He has been signed by RCB for Rs 20 lakh.
Reece Topley sustained his injury while fielding during the RCB vs MI match and was subsequently ruled out of the tournament. RCB expressed their gratitude towards Topley for his commitment and dedication to the franchise and wished him a speedy recovery via a tweet. In Topley’s absence, his England teammate David Willey played in the KKR match and picked up two crucial wickets.
Rajat Patidar, who was one of RCB’s top performers last year, will be missed by the team this year. In just 8 matches, he scored 333 runs at a strike rate of 152.75, including one century and two fifties. Patidar was unable to play in RCB’s first game of the season due to a heel injury and has subsequently been ruled out of the 16th edition of the IPL.
Despite the loss of Topley and Patidar, RCB has been proactive in securing replacements and has made multiple signings to bolster their squad. With the inclusion of Parnell, Vijay Kumar, Hazlewood, and Hasaranga, RCB will be hoping to maintain their strong start to the tournament.
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