IPL 2020: 3 overseas players Royal Challengers Bangalore could consider at the upcoming auction

#2 Kusal Perara

Kusal Perara

The hard-hitting Sri Lankan wicketkeeper-batsman might be another option for RCB as an alternative opener and a reserve wicketkeeper.

In the 2019 IPL season, Heinrich Klaasen was the reserve keeper for RCB with Parthiv Patel being the main wicketkeeper. Klaasen did not have the best of seasons in 2019; in three matches, he scored just nine runs at an average of 4.50.

Kusal Perara declined an IPL contract in the year 2018 when Sunrisers Hyderabad approached him to replace David Warner. However, that was only because he wanted to focus on domestic cricket and earn a recall to the Sri Lankan Test squad.

The left-handed wicketkeeper-batsman is a regular for Sri Lanka in all formats now, and a match-winner on his own. He can play the big shots early in the innings and take advantage of the power play overs. He can also accelerate the scoring rate towards the end of the innings, which is what RCB have been lacking in the last three seasons.

Perara has a strike rate of 135.37 in T20 internationals and is a handy keeper too. The Sri Lankan will be a welcome addition to the RCB outfit.