IPL 2021: 5 Players who can replace Washington Sundar at RCB in UAE leg

The remainder of the Indian Premier League is set to be conducted in the United Araba Emirates from 19 September, with matches to be played across three venues in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah.

The 14th edition of the league was postponed on May 4 after multiple Covid-19 cases emerged inside the bio-bubble of four different camps across two cities, forcing the BCCI and the IPL Governing Council to suspend the season in a bid to ensure the health and security of all involved stakeholders. After plenty of deliberation and contemplation, the board zeroed in on UAE to be the host for the remaining 31 matches, including the playoffs.

Until the season suspension, Virat Kohli’s Royal Challengers Bangalore enjoyed a good time and were placed third in the tally with 10 points from seven fixtures. Ahead of IPL resumption, the team would need to make some forced personnel change as their off-spin all-rounder Washington Sundar is likely to miss the second half owing to a finger injury he picked during the three-day warm-up fixture in the buildup to the five-Test England series.

Sundar was one of the two players – the other being Avesh Khan – who represented the County XI against India, and incidentally, both of them were ruled out of the England series owing to finger injuries. In Sundar’s absence, the RCB management will have some head-scratching to do, given he bowled for the team in crucial powerplay overs and sometimes also played a role with the bat.

Here are the probable replacements RCB might target to fill in for Washington Sundar:

1. Wanindu Hasaranga

Even as Sri Lanka cricket has been in the doldrums, leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga’s performances for the team have been a sight to behold for their supporters. Hasaranga announced his arrival in style against Pakistan in 2019, bagging eight wickets in three matches.

He came up with another stellar show against West Indies in an away series in 2020, before scripting a Player-of-the-Tournament performance in the inaugural edition of the Lanka Premier League. Hasaranga was also the Player of the Series against India in the recently-concluded home T20I series that Sri Lanka clinched 2-1.

The 24-year-old admitted that he was approached by a couple of IPL franchises post the India series, one of which is the RCB, however, nothing is officially confirmed as yet.

2. Adil Rashid 

England spinner Adil Rashid is a tempting option, more so as the venue of the second leg is in the spin-friendly conditions of the UAE. Rashid has been in scintillating form of late and is leading the wicket-charts in the ongoing The Hundred, where he has bagged 10 wickets in five matches for Northern Superchargers.

He also played a crucial role in the recent home series for England against Pakistan and finished as the leading wicket-taker in the three-match series despite missing out on the first T20I. Rashid spun a web against Pakistan in the series-decider in Manchester’s Old Trafford, where his 4/35 assisted the hosts to restrict Pakistan for a below-par 154, which they chased in the final over.

Apart from 65 T20I wickets in 62 games, the leg-spinner has bagged 229 wickets at 21.96 and an economy rate of 7.40 in his 198-match T20 career.

3. Naveen ul Haq

A skiddy customer with plenty of variations up his sleeve, Naveen ul Haq’s short-format stocks have risen steadily over the last few years. A young medium-pacer from Afghanistan, Naveen has made his name for the nation primarily known for the likes of Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi and Mujeeb ur Rahman.

With a slingy action and the knack of slower balls, his medium pace could well be a blessing for the Challengers in the UAE conditions. The 21-year-old was signed by Leicestershire for the T20 Blast, and he has not disappointed, currently positioned as the leading wicket-taker in the tournament, with 26 scalps in 14 matches at 17.57 and an economy of 8.67.

His display in the Caribbean Premier League earlier grabbed the attention of Rajasthan Royals, who called him ahead of the IPL auction 2020, although he is yet to feature in the league. With RCB in search of potential replacements, this might be the year for his IPL debut.

4. Sandeep Lamichhane

Nepal leg-spinner Sandeep Lamichhane has been one of the finds in the shorter format in the last few years. Having had the experience of playing T20 leagues in India (IPL), Pakistan (PSL), Australia (BBL), UAE (Abu Dhabi T10) and the West Indies (CPL), Lamichhane has been one of the reasons that Nepal has been recognized in the cricketing world.

He played a crucial role in making his team earn ODI status, before playing for the Delhi Capitals in the IPL under the coaching of Ricky Pointing. In his nine-match brief IPL career, he has bagged 13 wickets, with a best of 3/36, while overall in T20s, the leggie has 138 wickets from 101 matches.

With the experience of various leagues under his belt, Lamichhane continues to be a bright prospect for cricket worldwide, including the frenzied Indian Premier League.

5. Ankit Rajpoot

Indian medium-pacer Ankit Rajpoot has been a known face in the Indian Premier League. Hailing from Uttar Pradesh, Rajpoot made a mark early on through his prolific domestic cricket exploits that earned him a call up from Chennai Super Kings in 2013.

After a three-year break at the IPL, he resumed in 2016 with Kolkata Knight Riders, before being roped in by Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings). He was later released by the franchise, as he moved to Rajasthan Royals. Rajpoot has been more of an in-and-out player, having never played more than eight matches in any IPL season.

In his 29-match career, he has 24 wickets at 33.91, although he could be an option good enough for the Challengers to look forward to as Sundar’s replacement. Overall, in his T20 career worth 82 games, Rajpoot has 101 scalps at 21.05 and an economy rate of 7.76.