5 great players who failed badly at RR

The Rajasthan Royals (RR) got the inaugural Indian Premier League (IPL) season off to a fantastic start by winning the title under the able leadership of the late Shane Warne.

The franchise has been known over the years to produce world-class players from hidden gems by nurturing them and giving them exposure.

Right from Yusuf Pathan to current captain Sanju Samson, RR have given India some real star players. Not just Indians, but the Royals have also got the best out of an overseas player like Shane Watson.

However, certain star players have come to RR with some expectations but haven't been able to live up to the billing. There have also been times when certain players became big stars in the cash-rich league after leaving the Royals.

On that note, let's take a look at five reputed T20 players who couldn't quite leave enough positive impact during their stint at the Rajasthan Royals:

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#5 Robin Uthappa

Robin Uthappa was undoubtedly one of the most underrated players in the IPL. He has played for a number of teams, but his best came during the 2014 season when he won the Orange Cap by scoring 660 runs and also helped the Kolkata Knight Riders to their second IPL title.

Uthappa was expected to add some much-needed experience to the RR batting line-up but wasn't able to live up to expectations. In the IPL 2020 season, he played 12 games and scored just 196 runs at a paltry average of 16.33. He also got a chance to open later in the tournament, but that wasn't enough for the Royals as they decided to let go of him before the next season.

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#4 Aaron Finch

The fact that Aaron Finch played for as many as nine IPL teams shows that he was never really able to cement his place in any of them. But that doesn't take anything away from the fact that at his peak, the former Australian ODI skipper was the No.1 ranked T20I batter in the world.

Finch played just one game for the Royals, that too back in 2010 where he scored 21 runs. He never really got consistent opportunities and was moved on by the franchise.

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#3 Ross Taylor

One of the most prolific batters that New Zealand ever produced, Ross Taylor made his name as an overseas superstar for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and played a crucial role in them making it to the 2009 IPL final.

A sub-par IPL 2010 season meant that RCB moved on from Taylor and the Royals didn't waste any time in picking the star batter in the auction. While he was expected to take the mantle of the RR middle-order, Taylor could only score 181 runs in 12 matches at a strike rate of 119.07.

He didn't represent the Royals again. Later in his autobiography, Taylor also made some shocking revelations about his time at RR, which also might have had an impact on his performances.

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#2 Morne Morkel

Morne Morkel was one of the best overseas bowlers in the IPL, especially during his time with the Delhi Daredevils and the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), while also winning the title with the latter in 2014.

However, not many would know that Morkel was first with the Rajasthan Royals during the 2009 and 2010 editions of the tournaments. he played four games in two seasons and didn't even pick up a single wicket. Such was his rise that he left RR for Delhi and picked up a total of 38 wickets in the next two seasons.

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#1 David Miller

David Miller is arguably the most in-form finisher in white-ball cricket at the moment and his redemption began with the Gujarat Titans (GT) last season. He was picked up by the Titans and entrusted with the middle-order role that he played to perfection.

In 16 games, Miller scored 481 runs and helped GT win their maiden IPL title. Thus, it will hurt the Royals even more that Miller wasn't able to replicate such form when he was with them during the IPL 2020 and 2021 seasons.

In 10 games, Miller scored just 124 runs for RR, but he also cannot be blamed completely for the inconsistent run of chances that came his way. With the Royals having a top-heavy batting line-up, an in-form Miller's presence could have made a massive difference.