IPL 2018: Rajasthan Royals squad analysis

Back in the Indian Premier League after two years, the Rajasthan Royals grabbed a lot of attention at this year’s auction.

The Royals went on to buy England all-rounder Ben Stokes for a whopping 12.5 crores, making him the costliest player at the auctions. Last season, Stokes made 316 runs in 12 matches at a strike rate close to 143, including a century.

The Jaipur-based franchise did not stop their extravagant buys at that- they went on to bag Jaydev Unadkat for Rs.11.5 crores, making him the most expensive Indian player at the auctions.

Unadkat has looked really well in the previous editions of the league and was quite impressive last season picking up 21 wickets at an average of just 13.41.

The franchise retained the services of Australian skipper Steven Smith who will also lead the side in this season.

At the auction pool, the team managed to bag some players who had played for the franchise before and had been consistent performers for them.

Sanju Samson (386 runs at a strike rate of 141.39 in IPL 2017), Dhawal Kulkarni (75 wickets in 72 matches) and Ajinkya Rahane are a few players who have represented the franchise in the past and are all set to play for them in the upcoming season.

Four of their core players- Smith, Rahane, Unadkat and Stokes played for the Pune franchise last season which reached the finals.

Smith will try and lead the inaugural champions to yet another IPL title, 10 years after their only triumph at the tournament.

The Rajasthan Boys meet the Sunrisers Hyderabad in their first encounter of the league on April 9th, 2018.

Squad: Steven Smith (C), Ben Stokes, Ajinkya Rahane, Stuart Binny, Sanju Samson, Jos Buttler, Rahul Tripathi, D’Arcy Short, Jofra Archer, K Gowtham, Dhawal Kulkarni, Jaydev Unadkat, Ankit Sharma, Anureet Singh, Zahir Khan Pakteen, Shreyas Gopal, MS Midhun, Prashant Chopra, Ben Laughlin, Mahipal Lomror, Jatin Saxena, Aryaman Vikram Birla and Dushmantha Chameera

#1 Batting

RR batting looks over-reliant on Smith and Rahane

Mumbai batsman Ajinkya Rahane and Rahul Tripathi can open the innings for the innings for the Royals. Tripathi (14 matches, 267 runs in IPL) played for the Pune team last season and looked impressive will be a vital cog at the top of the order.

While Rahane has been a consistent run scorer and a proven match winner, he is someone who will look to bat deep into the innings while others revolve around him. His calmness at the top of the order is a wonderful skill to possess and will be immensely fruitful for the team.

At No. 3 captain Steve Smith will provide solidity to the middle order in case a wicket falls early and at the same time take the attack to the opposition if needed.

Sanju Samson, an exciting talent, who has time and again proved what he is capable of in the league is a handy batsman to have in the middle order. Samson's consistency can be a determinant factor for the team's performance.

A great batting option will be D’ Arcy Short (966 runs in 25 T20 matches), who has been absolutely phenomenal playing for the Hobart Hurricanes in the Big Bash League. However, he might not feature in the playing 11 at all, given the problem of plenty in the overseas players' section.

Jos Buttler (10 matches, 272 runs) may also get to feature in the side, given his wicket-keeping skills. Buttler was instrumental in helping the Mumbai Indians clinch the Trophy in IPL 2017.

The batting, however, looks over-reliant on captain Smith and Rahane's batting at the top. Rajasthan, who bank on domestic talents every season, may have to struggle in this regard in the upcoming season.

#2 All- Rounders

Stokes was a massive grab at the auctions

Unarguably, Stokes was a massive grab at the auctions and he is sure to feature in the side in all of their outings for all that he offers on the cricketing field. Stokes remaining in good form, both with the bat and the ball, is crucial to Rajasthan’s success this year.

Apart from him, the Royals have all-rounders like Stuart Binny (766 runs and 21 wickets in IPL) who can provide a lot of support in the middle overs. Ankit Sharma, who has enormous experience in the first-class level will be a huge plus for the team going forward.

Karnataka’s bowling all-rounder Gowtham Krishnappa (310 runs and 20 wickets in 27 T20 Matches) who has been doing well with the ball and with the bat lower down the order can well be the difference in the last few overs when the team is looking for big hits.

#3 Bowling

Archer was phenomenal in the Big Bash League

Unadkat’s form will be significant in the Royals' journey in the season.

When in form, the left-arm pacer can pick up big wickets without giving away a lot of runs (evident from his economy of under seven in IPL 2017).

Other than him, the BBL sensation Jofra Archer (41 T20 Matches, 50 wickets) would be a player to look out for when he plays for the one-time champion team.

Ben Laughlin is another seaming option in the squad. However, the franchise is lacking a reputed spinner among their ranks and this could very well haunt them as they proceed in the tournament.

Zahir Khan (15 wickets in eight T20 matches), the young Afghan spinner can prove to be a handy spinner. However, it would be interesting to see his equation in the team, given the balance of the squad.