Royal Challengers Bengaluru's Ellyse Perry is the second-highest run-scorer in the Women's Premier League.
Credit: PTI photo
Royal Challengers Bengaluru have been left with a massive Ellyse Perry-sized void after their most influential asset in the Women's Premier League withdrew from the upcoming competition citing personal reasons.
The Challengers now have a tricky task in hand -- as challenging as getting a permission from the government to host a match at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium at the moment.
They have named India all-rounder Sayali Satghare as a replacement but is it that simple?
Perry’s value to RCB goes beyond just flipping between an anchor and aggressor in a muddled top-order -- bowling crucial overs when necessary and being the shoulder that skipper Smriti Mandhana falls back on when she needs leadership advice.
Perry has scored 972 runs in 25 WPL games at an average of 64.80 and a strike rate of 132.96. RCB’s second-highest run-scorer (Mandhana: 646 runs) is 326 runs behind, which is considered a fantastic season for a batter.
While the runs are staggering, the 35-year-old has also picked up 14 wickets, including a 6/15, bowling at a decent economy of 8.20.
Add her exceptional fielding abilities and 347 international match experience and you have an irreplaceable cricketer who's presence had given RCB the much-needed flexibility.
So, how does one plug this massive gap?
In a video that RCB recently released on their social media platforms, it was evident that they came to know to about Perry's unavailability after retention and just prior to the auctions.
“We're all now aware that Perry has officially communicated she's going to pull out of the WPL. How best can we replace her runs in the team," head coach Malolan Rangarajan was seen asking.
While replacing the second highest run-getter in the tournament might not be such an easy task, RCB have fine-tuned their squad with power and precision. However, the chances of success and failure are in equal measure because that’s what Perry brings: reliability.
The majority of Perry's runs, however, will need to come from Mandhana, who will have carry the top-order.
RCB have failed to sign a proven Indian top-order batter to accompany Mandhana. They have picked Gautami Naik, who opened the batting with Mandhana in the Maharashtra Premier League, scoring 173 runs in six games.
But it remains a risky option with Naik still not exposed to the pressures of WPL.
Another addition is Dayalan Hemalatha, who has not yet done much to be a dependable option. In 22 games, the 31-year-old has managed just 264 runs, averaging 18.31.
And then the attention shifts to the three foreign batting recruits in Nadine de Klerk, Georgia Voll and Grace Harris, who will need to inject their experience and power into RCB’s batting.
Voll will most likely open with Mandhana while Harris and de Klerk are set to occupy No. 4 and six positions, respectively.
RCB will hope the two overseas signings complement the explosive Richa Ghosh, who is expected to play a floater’s role.
They have added solid bowling options in Lauren Bell, Pooja Vastrakar, Arundhati Reddy and Radha Yadav, giving them several powerplay and death options.
While Perry’s overs might not be the biggest of worries, it will be interesting to see how the Everest of runs will be scaled.
The options to replace Perry are certainly there, but for now, they remain just options and not solutions.