IPL 2018: Five Players Who Can Replace AB de Villiers if he Doesn't Play for RCB

With AB de Villiers taking a sudden and shocking call to hang his boots from the International fold, it could be a case if he decides to not play in the cash-rich Indian Premier League (IPL).

However, de Villiers confirmed that he will continue to play for his domestic team, Titans.

The star batsman de Villiers had also stated that he will conitinue to ply on his trade in domestic Twenty20 leagues across the globe.

Meanwhile, it is known fact Titans has not included de Villiers in the list of its 18 contracted players. Consequently, there are doubts whether he will partake in next season of IPL.

On the other hand, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) has stated that the South African talismanic batsman will play for them in the next edition.

However, we take a look at the five players who can replace AB de Villiers if he skips the 2019 season of the IPL.

Five Players who can replace AB de Villiers if he doesn’t play for RCB:

Luke Ronchi:

Luke Ronchi has taken the T20 form by storm. Ronchi’s performance in the Carribean Premier League (CPL) was outstanding. However, he went unsold in the IPL 2018 auctions after featuring in the Pakistan Super League (PSL).

Ronchi has thus far played only in five IPL matches. However, he has scored only 34 runs in the five matches.

Meanwhile, former Australia’s and New Zealand’s wicketkeeper-batsman is in top form. Ronchi has the ability to get his runs at a brisk pace and could be an ideal replacement for de Villiers.

Ronchi had scored 359 runs in the 26 innings at a strike of 140.23 in the T20Is.

However, his numbers in the domestic T20 leagues are more impressive. In the 146 T20 innings, the right-hander has scored 3157 runs at a blistering strike rate of 157.14 which makes him a perfect replacement for AB.

Joe Root:

Joe Root had come into the IPL auctions for the first time in this season. Root had come into the auctions as he wanted to improve in the shortest version of the game.

However, the England Test skipper was overlooked by all the eight franchises.

Meanwhile, Root has all the experience and he is a brilliant batsman. We saw Kiwis Kane Williamson achieving great heights in this season of the tournament. Similarly, Root can grow his own roots in the IPL.

The England Test captain isn’t known for hard-hitting prowess. However, Root can provide consistency to the middle order of the Royal Challengers.

In the 23 T20I innings played for England, the right-hander has accumulated 743 runs at a good average of 39.10.

Consequently, Root who went unsold in the IPL auctions can be considered by the Royal Challengers think tank to replace de Villiers.

Eoin Morgan:

Surprisingly, Eoin Morgan didn’t receive any buyers in the IPL auctions. England’s limited-overs skipper is instrumental in transforming the English white-ball team.

Morgan, who like Luke Ronchi has played for two countries, is well known for his pyrotechnics.

It is going to be difficult to fill in big shoes of de Villiers.

In the 70 T20I innings he has played for the England and Ireland side, the combative southpaw batsman has scored 1,268 runs at the strike rate of 132.33.

Furthermore, Morgan also has the experience of playing in the IPL. The left-hander has gathered 854 runs at a strike rate of 121.13 in the 45 innings he has played in the Indian professional T20 League.

Consequently, Morgan can provide the depth in the RCB squad if de Villiers rules himself out.

Martin Guptill:

Martin Guptill had also surprisingly gone unsold in the IPL Auctions of the 2018 season. The New Zealand right-handed opener is well known for getting quick runs at the top of the order.

The Kiwis combative batsman has the ability to launch his attack on the opposition from the word go.

Consequently, Guptill has the ability to fill the place of de Villiers in the Royal Challengers camp.

The right-hander has scored 2271 runs in the 73 T20I innings he has played for the Blackcaps. Guptill has smashed his runs at an impressive strike rate of 132.88.

Guptill has played in 10 IPL matches in which he has scored 189 runs at a strike rate of 132.17.

Shaun Marsh:

Australian southpaw batsman Shaun Marsh could not find any team in the IPL 2018 auctions.

However, Marsh had shown consistency while playing for the Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) in the previous seasons of IPL.

In the 69 IPL innings, the left-hander has scored 2,447 runs at an impressive average of 39.95 and a staggering strike rate of 132.74.

Average of almost 40 is a testament of how consistent Marsh is in the IPL folklore.

Consequently, Marsh can provide solidarity in the middle order for the Virat Kohli-led team if AB de Villiers won’t take the field for the RCB.