Picture Credit: IPL/BCCI
Rajasthan Royals have been one of the most unique teams in the Indian Premier League (IPL). They have had a downward spiral since 2008. They had lifted the elusive title in 2008 and since then, they have failed to qualify for the finals even once. With a new captain in their pecking order, Rajasthan will look to reverse their fate and fortunes this season.
Skipper Sanju Samson - Player to watch out
Sanju Samson has replaced Steve Smith as the skipper of the pink franchise. While there are absolutely no doubts about Sanju’s batting abilities, this will be his first game as a full-time captain and thus all eyes will be on him. He started off well in the last season but ultimately ran out of fuel and was not very impressive in the latter part of the tournament.
Shivam Dube and Chris Morris to be vital cogs in middle-order
Rajasthan have a fairly new and fresh middle-order as they have acquired the services of two promising and immensely talented finishers and all-rounders. Dube and Morris are potent weapons of Rajasthan as they can smash the cherry all throughout the ground and can also bowl quite a few overs.
Andrew Tye and Jaydev Unadkat have to step up in absence of Jofra Archer
Jofra Archer was the backbone of the Rajasthan Royals team last year as he had picked up 20 wickets. However, he will be unavailable for the first half of the tournament because of an elbow injury. While this is a huge blow for the RR franchise, adversity brings out the best in a team. Thus, the likes of Andrew Tye and Jaydev Unadkat will have to step in and take charge. They will be leading the bowling attack and a lot of responsibilities will be under their belt.
Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes might open
Both Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes have had an enviable IPL record and are very important players of the Rajasthan franchise. Both of them have the ability to score at a quick pace and notch up boundaries and sixes at regular intervals. A fiery start in the powerplay will ease up the pressure on the middle order batsmen and thus this deadly opening pair of Buttler-Stokes can be a good option for RR.
Probable Playing XI of Rajasthan Royals
Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler (w/k), Sanju Samson (c), Riyan Parag, Shivam Dube, Chris Morris, Rahul Tewatia, Shreyas Gopal, Jaydev Unadkat, Andrew Tye, Kartik Tyagi