Bad News For Virat Kohli's Royal Challengers Bangalore! Star All-Rounder To Miss Part Of IPL 2023

Royal Challengers Bangalore will be without their star all-rounder for some parts of the IPL 2023.

Ahead of his side's Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 opener against Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) head coach Sanjay Bangar said that Sri Lankan all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga will be available for the side only after April 9 due to his international cricket commitments. RCB will take on MI in their IPL 2023 campaign opener on Sunday at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. "Wanindu Hasaranga will be unavailable for us till the ninth of this month," said Bangar in the pre-match press conference. Hasaranga was the leading wicket-taker for RCB last season and was the second-highest wicket-taker overall with 26 scalps in 16 matches at an average of 16.53 and an economy rate of 7.54. His best bowling figures in the last season were 5/18.

England pacer Reece Topley will be a like-for-like replacement for Australian quick Josh Hazlewood, who will be missing out on the first half of the league due to an achilles injury, said the coach.

"We sort of anticipated it (Hazlewood missing IPL games) and it was factored in the auction and pre-auction meetings. Reece Topley provides a like-to-like replacement for him. I am sure that his left-arm bowling will add to the strength of our bowling," said Bangar.

On the status of Rajat Patidar, who is also expected to miss the first half of IPL due to a heel injury, Bangar said that the batter is undergoing treatment at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru and the franchise is awaiting clarification from him.

The coach also added that star Australia all-rounder Glenn Maxwell, who recently made his return to cricket in the ODI series against Australia after a leg injury sustained last year, has been cleared to play by Cricket Australia (CA) and will play on Sunday.