3 RR players who should be released after IPL 2023

After they finished IPL 2022 as the runners-up, the vast majority of cricket pundits had the Rajasthan Royals as their favourites to win IPL 2023. RR started the season in brilliant fashion, winning four out of their first five games, which further validated the predictions of the pundits.

However, the Royals suffered a dramatic fall in fortunes as they won only three of their next nine games and failed to qualify for the playoffs. RR's downfall was caused by various factors, including Jos Buttler's poor form, the middle-order's inconsistency, and tactical blunders.

8Ahead of next season, RR will look to strengthen the departments in which they have struggled this year. They will also have to decide which players to retain and which to release. Here's a look at three players that the Royals should release after a poor IPL 2023:

#1 Devdutt Padikkal

DDP seemed like a misfit in RR's batting line-up

In 11 games in IPL 2023, the 22-year-old Devdutt Padikkal scored 261 runs at a strike-rate of 130.5. Those numbers were improved by a couple of good knocks during the backend of the tournament. However, for the most of the season, he looked like a misfit in the RR line-up.

The Royals have used Padikkal in the middle-order, which isn't the ideal position for a player who struggles to accelerate right from the outset. In fact, he likes to take some time to settle at the crease and should ideally open the innings to reap the benefits of the powerplay.

However, the presence of Jos Buttler and Yashasvi Jaiswal has pushed Padikkal lower down the order for RR. Padikkal batting in the middle order has done more damage than benefit, but RR had no other option due to the lack of quality Indian batters in their squad. Ahead of next season, RR may look to release him and get someone else to fulfill the crucial middle-order role.

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#2 Riyan Parag

It was another disappointing IPL campaign as far as Riyan Parag is concerned

Since procuring his services ahead of the 2019 IPL, the Rajasthan Royals have handed 54 opportunities to Riyan Parag. However, the 21-year-old has failed to grab the chances as he has a poor average of 16.22, coupled with a strike-rate of 123.97 in the cash-rich tournament. This year too, Parag disappointed, scoring only 78 runs in seven games at a terrible strike-rate of 118.18.

Not many teams have shown as much patience in any player as the Rajasthan Royals have shown in Parag. However, we may have seen the last of the Parag experiment as far as the Royals are concerned. Their middle order was a huge issue for them this season and they will be looking for better options ahead of next season.

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#3 Navdeep Saini

Several rookies were picked ahead of Navdeep Saini in IPL 2023

Navdeep Saini has played only two games in IPL 2023. In RR's first match of the season against the Sunrisers Hyderabad, Saini came in as the impact player and bowled two overs. He conceded 34 runs and could not pick up a single wicket. He then played RR's last game of the season and picked up three wickets, but was extremely expensive.

Saini, 30, is an experienced campaigner who has also represented India across formats but despite his credentials, RR picked rookies Kuldip Yadav and KM Asif ahead of him. Next year, Prasidh Krishna will be back after missing IPL 2023 due to injury. Given his position in RR's pecking-order, it's likely that Saini will be released by the Royals.