Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) have signed New Zealand’s Michael Bracewell as a replacement for England batter Will Jacks for the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2023).
Jacks, who was signed by RCB for a sum of Rs 3.4 Crore in the IPL 2023 Auction, suffered a muscle injury during England’s recent ODI series against Bangladesh. Subsequently, the Englishman was ruled out of the whole of the upcoming season.
Bracewell has played 16 T20Is, scored 113 runs and picked up 21 wickets. He will join RCB at his base price of Rs 1 Crore.
Bracewell comes into the RCB squad after impressive performances in New Zealand’s recent tour of India, where the all-rounder put up an inspiring 78-ball 140 laced with 12 fours and 10 sixes that almost single-handedly fuelled the Black Caps to a victory in the first ODI at Hyderabad.
The off-spinner followed that up to finish as New Zealand’s highest-wicket taker from the 3-match T20I series as well, ending with four wickets from three matches at a superb economy rate of just 5.77 in conditions where wickets were hard to come by.
A regular member of the New Zealand setup, Bracewell is more than handy with the bat lower down the order, striking at 139.5 in T20Is. Bracewell’s numbers with the ball, 21 wickets in 14 innings at an economy rate of 5.36 also underline his effectiveness as a top all-rounder in the shortest format of the sport.
Bracewell joins a strong RCB foreign contingent in IPL 2023 comprising captain Faf du Plessis, Glenn Maxwell, Wanindu Hasaranga, Josh Hazlewood, David Willey, Finn Allen and Reece Topley.