Royal Challengers Bangalore rope in Michael Bracewell as injury replacement for Will Jacks ahead of IPL 2023

New Zealand all-rounder Michael Bracewell has joined the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) ahead of the upcoming season of the IPL. The hard-hitting all-rounder has been roped in as Will Jacks' replacement.

England all-rounder Will Jacks was ruled out of the tournament, having fetched INR 3.2 crores in the auction held in December. The 24-year-old sustained a muscle injury while fielding during the limited-overs series in Bangladesh, forcing him out of the marquee competition.

Bracewell appears to be a like-for-like replacement for Jacks and will join the franchise at his base price of INR 1 crore. The 32-year-old has played 16 T20Is and scored 113 runs while picking up 21 scalps. His T20 career strike rate is a healthy 133.48.

It's exciting he'll get a chance" - Gary Stead on Michael Bracewell

New Zealand head coach Gary Stead addressed Bracewell's IPL deal, stating that it's a fantastic opportunity to get a better feel for the conditions ahead of the 50-over World Cup. As quoted by ESPN Cricinfo, Stead said:

"Michael's been a key contributor to our white-ball teams since making his debut last year. It's exciting he'll get a chance to take up the learning opportunities the IPL provides - particularly as a spin bowling all-rounder. With a World Cup in India this year it's great to have players getting more experience in those conditions."

The left-hander slammed a breathtaking 140 in an ODI against India in Hyderabad earlier this year, prompting experts to question why he went unsold in the auction. With the all-rounder set to play in the cash-rich league, Rachin Ravindra will replace him in the ODI squad to face Sri Lanka.

Meanwhile, RCB will open their campaign against the Mumbai Indians on April 2nd in Bengaluru. They reached the playoffs in IPL 2022 before being eliminated by the Rajasthan Royals in the second qualifier.