Sanjay Bangar decodes RCB’s strategy to go for Reece Topley

It was a busy day for the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL 2023 auction at Kochi as the management went head-on for splurges completing their 25-member squad with consummate ease despite a slow start. The Royal Challengers chose to retain 18 members of their team from the precursor edition while letting go of only 5 players that allowed them to make 7 signings for the upcoming season.

However, one of the most significant signings for the Royal Challengers on Friday was the big English man, Reece Topley. The left-arm fast bowler has been in sensational form in the international arcade in 2022 and the fact that he can move the ball both ways makes him a valuable addition to the fast-bowling mafia of RCB.

RCB Head coach, Sanjay Bangar was pretty happy with the inclusion of Topley as he opened up at length on RCB Bold Diaries. Bangar said, “We wanted to have a like-for-like replacement for Jason Behrendorff. Taking into the fact the way Topley has bowled for England, his ability with the new ball as well as towards the end is the reason why we preferred somebody like him.”

He further added, “He is tall, he can hit the ball higher on the bat. So from that perspective, he was one of our desired picks and I was very happy that we could secure him.”

Bangar then shifted his focus on RCB’s plans going into the auction, stating, “Yeah, we have kept a tab on most of the left-arm seamers that were available. That’s why we saw a couple of them and how their availability was going to be a big thing, taking into account that Josh is not going to be available for the initial games. So it was crucial that whichever left-armer we pick, he was going to be available, ready and fit to play. That’s why he fitted the bill really well. He’s a part of the England setup. He is playing consistently for them and that’s the reason to get a high-quality performer like him adds strength to the side.”