IPL 2018: Rajasthan Royals squad analysis

#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.