IPL 2021 Auction: 3 players RCB must target

The IPL 2021 auction is scheduled to be held on 18th February in Chennai. As many as 1097 players have registered themselves for the auction.

Teams will look to build comprehensive squads that will give them the best chance in IPL 2021.

Ahead of the auction, Royal Challengers Bangalore have released 10 players - the most by any side.

Therefore RCB, who are yet to win an IPL title, are likely to be the most active franchise on the auction day.

In this article, we look at three players that RCB should look at buying at the upcoming auction.

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#1 Jason Roy

In IPL 2020, opener Devdutt Padikkal was RCB’s highest run-scorer, surpassing even the likes of Kohli and De Villiers on the batting front.

With 473 runs in 15 matches, Padikkal provided stability to the RCB at the top of the order.

However, star batsman Aaron Finch, whom they had bought in the previous auction, failed to make a mark – scoring just 268 runs at an underwhelming strike-rate of 111.20, and was subsequently released.

By the looks of it, RCB will try and get an overseas opener in the auction. And they could consider buying England's Jason Roy, who had earlier represented Gujarat Lions and Delhi Capitals in the IPL.

Roy is an aggressive opener and just the kind of player that RCB need at the top of the order along with Padikkal.

In 38 T20Is, Roy has scored 890 runs at an impressive strike-rate of 144.01.

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#2 Glenn Maxwell

Glenn Maxwell

RCB released the likes of Shivam Dube, Gurkeerat Mann and Moeen Ali.

They will be looking for middle and lower-middle order batsmen at the auction and Glenn Maxwell could be a good option.

2020 IPL was yet another substandard season for Maxwell. Playing for the Kings XI Punjab, he only managed to score 108 runs in 11 innings at an abysmal strike-rate of 101.88.

But despite his poor IPL record, Maxwell is too good a player not to be considered. In fact, with experience of 250+ T20 innings, Maxwell is one of the best players in the auction pool.

Also, it is worth pointing out that it was Maxwell’s man of the series performance – which included a 50 and a 100 – that helped Australia win the T20I series in India in 2019.

In that series, his brutal 113* that helped Australia chase down a target of 190 came at the Chinnaswamy.

The Bangalore pitch suits Maxwell, making RCB the right franchise for him.

Also see: RCB Retained Players List 2021

#3. Karun Nair

Karun Nair can be a good addition for RCB

Another player that RCB can look to go after in the auction is Karun Nair.

Nair is a talented middle-order batsman. His inconsistency, however, led to him getting released from KXIP.

The 29-year old has experience of 137 T20s in which he has scored 2720 runs at a strike-rate of 131.46. He also has two T20 hundred to his name.

Nair has earlier represented Rajasthan Royal, Delhi Capitals, and Kings XI Punjab in the IPL. He recently captained Karnataka in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy as well.

In Nair, RCB can get a local player who is familiar with the conditions. He can play as an opener and in the middle order as well.