IPL 2019 Auction: Royal Challengers Bangalore steals Shimron Hetmyer

Windies explosive batsman Shimron Hetmyer has always a big name for the scouts. There were lot of talks regarding him being picked in the IPL. The youngster was at his best against India, earlier this year. He unleashed his array of strokes and showcased his ability to go for the maximum.

Shimron Hetmyer to play for RCB

The Royal Challengers Bangalore picked up the promising batsman for INR 4.2 Crore. He is the first overseas player to be sold at the auction. RCB skipper Virat Kohli must be impressed with the buy as the side usually backs big hitters. Previously, Chris Gayle was an integral part of the side. At the moment, the Bangalore franchise have Kohli and AB de Villiers as their batting mainstay. With the Chinnaswamy stadium being a batsman’s paradise, Hetmyer would love to express himself. Also, the short boundaries would help the batters clear the rope at ease.

RCB are yet to lift the IPL. They came close to winning on several occasions but give it away at the final moment. Kohli and Co. would hope to win the trophy this time and around and the Windies batter will play a vital role in the side.

The fact that Hetmyer can play spin well and is familiar with the Indian tracks, makes him a good bet. He had finished the ODI series against India with 259 runs at an average of 51.80 and at a strike rate of 140. He has been in good touch this year. In the Caribbean Premier League, the batter piled up 440 runs in 12 innings at 148.14. The cricketer will be available throughout the season.

RCB:

Retianed: Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, Parthiv Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal, Tim Southee, Umesh Yadav, Navdeep Saini, Kulwant Khejroliya, Washington Sundar, Pawan Negi, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Moeen Ali, Mohammed Siraj, Colin de Grandhomme,

Released players: Quinton de Kock, Mandeep Singh, Chris Woakes, Sarfraz Khan, Brendon McCullum, Corey Anderson

Traded: Mandeep Singh for Marcus Stoinis