IPL 2021: Scott Kuggeleijn joins RCB as replacement for Kane Richardson

New Zealand fast-bowler Scott Kuggeleijn has joined Royal Challengers Bangalore’s (RCB) squad for the remainder of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021.

Scott Kuggeleijn has come in as a replacement for Australian quick Kane Richardson, who left the RCB camp recently due to personal reasons.

The 29-year-old right-arm pacer isn’t arriving from outside the IPL bubble as he was part of reserves for Mumbai Indians (MI). And so, Scott Kuggeleijn won’t be facing any quarantine hurdles in being able to represent RCB.

Scott Kuggeleijn joins RCB as replacement for Kane Richardson

Besides Richardson, RCB have also lost his fellow countryman and wrist-spinner Adam Zampa for the remainder of the season. Zampa also went home prematurely due to personal reasons.

It is speculated that the two cricketers wanted to reach Australia in time before the government there suspends flights from India, which is experiencing a dangerous second wave of the coronavirus pandemic. Rajasthan Royals (RR) quick Andrew Tye who, too, returned home had cited that as a big reason behind his decision to depart early from IPL.

“There was a number of reasons [for leaving], but the main one was with the situation that has started to happen back home in Perth with a lot of cases in hotel quarantine coming out of India,” Tye told SEN radio from Doha on Monday (April 25) as he transited on to a flight to Sydney. “Now there’s been a community case in Perth, governments are trying to restrict numbers coming back in, especially Western Australia.”

Scott Kuggeleijn, who has previously featured in two IPL matches for Chennai Super Kings (CSK), will be playing for RCB now. The fast-bowler has played 16 T20I matches for New Zealand with 13 wickets at an economy rate of 9.07.

In the RCB camp, Scott Kuggeleijn will be fighting for a place in the playing XI with fellow Kiwi speedster Kyle Jamieson, whom RCB got at the auction in February for a whopping sum of INR 15.00 crores.