IPL 2021: RCB sign Wanindu Hasaranga, Dushmantha Chameera and Tim David for the UAE leg

The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) have signed the Sri Lanka duo of Wanindu Hasaranga and Dushmantha Chameera for the second leg of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The franchise has also signed Singapore batsman Tim David who keep impressing in the other leagues with his hitting prowess. The shuffle in the RCB squad comes after Australia players Adam Zampa, Kane Richardson and Daniel Sams have decided not to travel for the IPL.

The IPL contract is the reward for both Hasaranga and Chameera for their impressive performances at the international level. Even as Sri Lanka lost all the games in England, the two players were on top of their game and the same continued when they hosted India for three ODIs and as many T20Is in July.

Hasaranga was brilliant in the T20I series against India picking eight wickets and also played an important role with the bat in the last two matches to help Sri Lanka clinch the series. Chameera, on the other hand, didn’t have expected numbers to show but he made the ball talk all the time and impressed the India head coach on the tour Rahul Dravid with his bowling.

Meanwhile, Tim David is the specialist when it comes to T20 cricket. In 49 matches, he has scored 1171 runs at a brilliant strike-rate of 155.

Finn Allen and Scott Kuggeleijn on national duty

The reason why RCB had to pick Chameera and Tim David in the line-up was the unavailability of the New Zealand players Finn Allen and Scott Kuggeleijn. Allen is part of the T20I and ODI squads for the tours of Bangladesh and Pakistan. While the Bangladesh tour concludes well before the IPL resumes, the Pakistan tour clashes directly with the cash-rich league.

Scott Kuggeleijn, meanwhile, is only the part of the T20 squad on both the tours and will also miss the IPL for the same reason.  RCB will resume their IPL 2021 campaign on September 20 with the game against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).