"RCB could be an option for him...": Ashwin wants WI skipper Hope to be picked in IPL auction

Hope continues to make his mark in India, slamming his fourth century of the white-ball tour to the country during the fourth T20I at Hyderabad, slamming a 50-ball 102*, with four boundaries and nine sixes. With two centuries each in the ODI and T20I leg and five fifty-plus scores across seven matches, the West Indies skipper has shown the world perhaps his most refined and in-prime version of himself as WI strive to qualify for the 2027 Cricket World Cup via qualifiers and gain back their place among the upper echelons in world cricket.

Former Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin expressed that West Indies skipper Shai Hope, who is in red-hot form, could be a good option for the two-time defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and that he should "definitely" be picked during the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction this year. Hope continues to make his mark in India, slamming his fourth century of the white-ball tour to the country during the fourth T20I at Hyderabad, slamming a 50-ball 102*, with four boundaries and nine sixes. With two centuries each in the ODI and T20I leg and five fifty-plus scores across seven matches, the West Indies skipper has shown the world perhaps his most refined and in-prime version of himself as WI strive to qualify for the 2027 Cricket World Cup via qualifiers and gain back their place among the upper echelons in world cricket.

Hope, who also became the fourth WI player to reach 2,000 T20I runs, has showcased immense transformation in the format. Between 2017-2023, he made just 493 runs in 26 matches and 24 innings at an average of 22.41, with just two fifties. Since 2024, he has made 1,511 runs in 48 T20Is and innings at an average of 39.76 and a strike rate of almost 149, with three centuries and 11 fifties. Speaking on his YouTube channel 'Ash ki Baat', Ashwin said, "Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) could be an option for him because they have both Phil Salt and Jacob Bethell. Bethell batted reasonably well, but do they need to have another option there? Maybe, maybe not. So, honestly, should Shai Hope play in the IPL? Is he deserving? Absolutely. In my mind, he would be a number-one player. Will he be picked in this auction? He definitely should be, and I am hoping he will be.”

Hope, who earned his maiden IPL gig in 2024 with Delhi Capitals in 2024, scored 183 runs across nine innings at a strike rate of 150.00, with a best score of 41, and the IPL remains the big league where he has not made his presence felt so far. Ashwin feels that the role of number three or four is not suited for him in the IPL, but is still an option. "He is not finding a place in the first XI of any squad, so that is a cause for concern. He will always get a place at number three or four, but is he suited to that role? He is probably not suited to that role, but he is an option. Will a team break the bank for him? I hope so, but it is unlikely. Most teams have their opening slots fixed with overseas players, so I think it will depend more on the combinations they are looking for," he signed off.

The WI skipper is enjoying his best T20I year with 601 runs in 16 innings at an average of 50.08 and a strike rate of over 152, with two centuries and four fifties. Across all international cricket this year, he has made 1,336 runs in 29 matches and 30 innings at an average of 55.66, with a strike rate of 92.01, with five centuries and seven fifties. Hope is having an incredible run in India, being WI's leading run-getter and overall second-highest run-getter in ODIs with 278 runs in three innings at an average of 139.00, with two centuries and a best score of 162* in the final ODI in Assam. With 261 runs in four innings and matches in the T20I leg, including two centuries and a fifty, Hope is the leading run-scorer in T20Is. Overall across seven innings, the WI skipper has made 539 runs at an average of 134.75, including four centuries and a fifty. T

The batter's record against India across formats stands at 1,961 runs in 45 matches and 49 innings at an average of 47.82, with eight centuries and six fifties, with a best score of 162*. (ANI)