Team Bangalore has roped in the Sri Lankan pair of Wanindu Hasaranga and Dushmantha Chameera, and Singapore's Tim David ahead of the UAE leg of the Indian T20 League 2021.
The Virat Kohli-led Bangalore team has also signed George Garton of England but his arrival hinges on the approval from the league’s governing body.
Bangalore signing the aforementioned players comes after New Zealand's Finn Allen and Scott Kuggeleijn were made unavailable for the Indian T20 League owing to their national team commitment.
Furthermore, Adam Zampa, Daniel Sams and Kane Richardson of Australia made themselves unavailable too, leaving Bangalore short in numbers.
Team Bangalore has undergone several changes ahead of the UAE leg. Simon Katich recently stepped down from his role of head coach, with Mike Hesson now taking charge. Speaking about signing Wanindu, Hesson said the team has been scouting the all-rounder for quite some time.
"We've got an extensive scouting program and Wanindu's certainly been on our radar for a long time," Hesson said.
"In fact, when we needed a replacement last season, he was certainly a person we called upon. It's certainly not a recency factor, we're not surprised by his success in recent times, he's been doing it for a while. As I said he's a multi-skilled cricketer, he offers us an option to bat a little bit deeper if we choose to play the overseas spinner alongside Chahal.
"Chameera also, so another [from] Sri Lankan contingent. He's bowling extremely well at the moment. He's got genuine pace and his white-ball game has developed significantly."
As far as Tim David is concerned, he grabbed attention during his stint with Hobart Hurricanes in the Big Bash League where he scored 279 runs at a strike rate of 153.30. After that, he also had a brief stint with Lahore Qalandars in the Pakistan Super League.
"With Finn Allen leaving, we strengthened our middle-order possibilities in terms of options. Tim David, a power player who could become a straight swap for either [Glenn] Maxwell or AB de Villiers if required. Also gives us other options if required and he's also performed in the subcontinent in recent times," Hesson said.
Bangalore now has seven foreign players on their roster, meaning that they have one more slot to fill. If Garton gets his clearance, the team will have its full quota of foreigners ready to compete.
Featured photo: AFP / Ishara S. Kodikara and Munir Uz Zaman
