Gone are the days when 100 balls were too less to derive a result out of a game. The Hundred league is in full swing and there are runs flowing everywhere. The shorter the format gets, more the number of boundaries. This has become a formula for majority of the leagues in the world. Former Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) player Michael Bracewell bowled a magnificent spell for the Southern Brave against the Birmingham Phoenix. He bowled 15 balls and picked three wickets. And it didn’t stop there. He conceded just 10 runs in the 15 balls bowled.
This was the first victory for the Southern Brave in this season of The Hundred. Though they tasted victory for the first time, it was a convincing one. The off-spinner shattered the Birmingham Phoenix and broke their spine. As a result, Southern Brave were able to limit their opponents to a modest 106/7. To add to that, Bracewell was awarded with the Man of the Match for his stellar performance.
Bracewell has got another side to his game. He is a very dependable batter, and has shown it at the highest stage on multiple occasions. He can hit the long ball, but can also play according to the situation of the game. The kiwi all-rounder was one of the players who signed a convenience contract with the New Zealand Cricket Board. This was done so that the players would be able to play in various leagues around the globe.
How Michael Bracewell Might Be a Good Fit For RCB
To put it straight, Michael Bracewell can be a good replacement for someone like Liam Livingstone. The all-rounder from England did not have the best of seasons with the franchise in their journey towards becoming the champions. He scored just 112 runs in the 10 outings that he featured in. To add to the abysmal numbers, he averaged a mere 16 throughout the season, and wasn’t able to add any fire towards the end. Speaking about his bowling, he managed just two wickets in 10 games, which was not up to the mark.
What suits Bracewell in this scenario is the fact that he can fill the exact same position which Livingstone was playing at. Bracewell’s exploits with the bat have shown enough promise for him to earn a spot in the T20 side. In the Major League Cricket (MLC) 2025, he scored 227 runs at a strike rate of more than 130. Moreover, he also had decent contributions with the ball. Bracewell can fill the Livingstone void in the RCB camp and can perform better with respect to both skills. Unlike Livingstone, the kiwi all-rounder can anchor the innings if needed, and that will be a positive.
RCB have enough firepower at the back-end, with Jitesh Sharma wonderfully establishing himself in the role. Moreover, players like Rajat Patidar have shown enough zeal to not throw their wicket away once they are settled at the crease. Krunal Pandya is another all-rounder who adds a lot of bowling value to the side. His performance in the last season spoke volumes about his ability to bowl tight spells under pressure. If RCB are looking for a replacement for Liam Livingstone, they might want to look at someone like Michael Bracewell, who was a part of their franchise in 2023.
