3 points why RCB must acquire the service of Shai Hope for IPL 2026

When Shai Hope is in flow, destruction is guaranteed. The Antigua & Barbuda Falcons is the latest victim of his ruthless batting. Without any doubt, in-form Shai Hope is always a joy to watch. It was a surprise when no franchise was interested in acquiring the service of the West Indian batsman for IPL 2025. 

During the 9th game of the ongoing Caribbean Premier League (CPL), the right-handed batter played an 82-run innings against 54 balls. During this carnage he smashed six boundaries and five over boundaries. With this batting style and aggressive nature, the Barbados-born can be an easy fit for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) for IPL 2026. 

3 points why RCB should sign Shai Hope:

Batting Depth: Shai Hope's inclusion in the squad will instantly boost up the batting strength and also will be a good option as a regular wicketkeeper. Though RCB already has Jitesh Sharma in their squad, so if they rope in Shai, then he may have to play only as a batsman. In his form, the swashbuckling batter can be equally useful against spinners and pacers. In recent times, length deliveries have become a go-tooption for fast bowlers in the IPL. Hope has the antidote in his bag against those length balls. 

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A Good Option from the Bench: Despite his prolific batting skills, Hope's inconsistency remains a concern. For that reason, RCB can utilize him as a replacement. In the last IPL season, they had to go with Liam Livingston or Romario Shepherd, who were too inconsistent. Livingston finished the IPL 2025 campaign with only a batting average of 16.00 in 8 innings. If the franchise is ready to sacrifice a foreign batting all-rounder, then they must keep an eye on Shai Hope. 

Wrecker-in-chief: At any moment, the West Indian batter can turn into a wrecker-in-chief, like he did during Amazon Warriors vs Antigua & Barbuda Falcons. If he is able to find the sweet spot, then even top bowlers in the IPL can start to see nightmares on the ground. For a successful season, every team needs an 'X'-factor; Shai Hope can be the 'X-factor' for the IPL 2025 champions.