5 batsmen Rajasthan Royals need to consider for next year's IPL

The Rajasthan Royals will be very disappointed with the way their season ended this year. They managed to sneak into the top four and qualify for the playoffs but last night's performance would have them feeling very worried.

The men in blue looked to be in control of the match against the Kolkata Knight Riders from the beginning. The top order was blown away by some superb bowling with the duo of Dinesh Karthik and Andre Russell being the only two batsmen to provide any sort of resistance.

Their run chase got off to a great start and it looked as though the Royals had the match won. This would prove not to be the case as the Royals would then end up wasting deliveries and struggling to score in the final overs. In the end, the Royals lost the match by 25 runs and this is something which would be very worrying for them.

Losing Steven Smith was always going to leave a bit of a gap in the middle order. Heinrich Klaasen was selected as a replacement but failed to really impress many people at this year's tournament. He does have some ability and has demonstrated that he can hit the ball a long way, but the Royals will want to address the rest of the middle order before next year's IPL season gets started.

There were a lot of batsmen who were left out during this year's auction. Five of these batsmen should be considered by the men in blue for next year's IPL and this article will take a look at these key players.

#1 Hashim Amla

Hashim Amla inexplicably went unsold at this year's IPL

In perhaps what was one of the biggest surprises at this year's IPL auction, Hashim Amla went unsold.

Having been brought in as a replacement for the injured Shaun Marsh last time around, Amla announced his arrival at the Kings XI Punjab with two massive centuries, two half-centuries, amassing 420 runs in just 10 matches and an impressive strike-rate of 141.76 to put an end to any doubters out there who believed that Amla could only play Test and ODI cricket.

His calming influence at the crease also helps other players bat around him and play their natural game - something which the Rajasthan Royals need in their batting order.

#2 Martin Guptill

The explosive Kiwi opener could help Rajasthan blast their way to the title next year

Another shocking unsold player at this year's IPL auction, Martin Guptill might just have found his ticket to next year's IPL season, if the Rajasthan Royals seize the opportunity to bring in the hard-hitting batsman.

He didn't have the best of seasons last year, having amassed just 189 runs in 10 matches with a poor average by his standards of just 18.9, with only one half-century to his name - an unbeaten 50 was his top score for the season.

However, no one can question the enormous talent that the man possesses and he remains a huge threat in any batting line-up which he is a part of. He is due for a big season and next year could well be the one.

#3 Joe Root

Root would be an ideal middle-order batsman for Royals

Root has not established himself as much of a T20 player, so him going unsold at this year's IPL auction wasn't a huge surprise as was the case with the previous two batsmen.

Although he is not a huge striker of the ball, Root does have the ability to anchor an innings and score heaps of runs. There is no questioning that he is an enormously talented batsman and, like Amla, all he needs is the chance to show what he can do.

Root could have made a huge difference to the Rajasthan's IPL season this year. He may not be a massive striker of the ball or the most destructive batsman going around, but he does have the ability to keep the scoreboard ticking and to keep bowlers under pressure. This was something which the Royals failed to do last night in the final few overs of the match.

#4 Shaun Marsh

Marsh could be a key player for the Royals next year

Shaun Marsh has been a regular feature for the Kings XI Punjab in the IPL for the past ten seasons, however, he went unsold at this year's auction.

He has been a successful batsman in the IPL, and whilst not as explosive as Gayle, de Villiers or Kohli, he does boast healthy stats in the IPL with 2477 runs in 71 matches, at a healthy strike-rate of 132.74.

He is pretty decent in the middle order, and can increase the tempo of an innings when required. He may not be as destructive with the bat as his brother is but he is a valuable player to have when the batting side is under pressure.

#5 Eoin Morgan

Despite being one of the most destructive batsmen in the modern era, Morgan went unsold

Eoin Morgan needs no introduction when it comes to the cricketing world. Known for his hard-hitting ability and aggressive style, the Rajasthan Royals may well benefit from Morgan's ability to take the game away from the opposition.

It is not merely his ability to hit the ball to all sides of the cricket ground which make him such a key player. Morgan does have experience in the IPL as well as leadership experience with his national side. This is something which the Royals clearly seemed to be lacking during the final stages of their run chase against the Kolkata Knight Riders. The batsmen didn't seem to know how to pace the chase when it came to the final few overs and a batsman such as Morgan can really help to control the innings during the latter stages.

He is a decent player of spin and has the ability to find the gaps and keep the scoreboard ticking. This is a trait which the Royals should find very attractive which might just make Morgan a man who they may want to consider in their plans for next year's tournament.