IPL 2020: RR's predicted playing XI

All-rounders: Ben Stokes, Riyan Parag, Rahul Tewatia

Ben Stokes is likely to miss a significant portion of IPL 2020

Ben Stokes hasn't flown to the UAE yet, and it is highly likely that he will miss a significant part of IPL 2020. However, with no official word yet, we don't have a choice but to include him in this XI. The Englishman has been incredible for his country at the international level, but his IPL numbers don't show the same consistency.

If he eventually plays in IPL 2020, he will be keen on setting the record straight. If Stokes is unavailable throughout the tournament, RR might replace him with South African batsman David Miller or English all-rounder Tom Curran, who would be a like-for-like replacement.

Riyan Parag and Rahul Tewatia will be the two spin-bowling all-rounders in RR's XI for IPL 2020. While the former is all but guaranteed to be a part of the team given how highly he is rated, Tewatia should get the nod over the likes of Mayank Markande due to his ability with the bat.

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Bowlers: Jofra Archer, Shreyas Gopal, Jaydev Unadkat

Archer has been in good form in white-ball cricket recently

Jofra Archer will take up the final overseas slot in RR's playing XI for IPL 2020. The Englishman's raw pace and aggression will add a new dimension to the bowling attack, and he will be entrusted with the new ball and the final overs of the innings.

Shreyas Gopal, who has been quietly excellent for RR in the IPL, is the final spinner in the team. The Karnataka leggie has yet to be capped by India, and he will be keen on changing that with his performances in IPL 2020. It is also worth noting that both Archer and Gopal are handy with the bat, which means that RR's batting will be quite deep in IPL 2020.

The final spot in this XI is a toss-up between Ankit Rajpoot, Kartik Tyagi, Akash Singh and Jaydev Unadkat, and the Saurashtra pacer is likely to get the nod due to his experience at the death and the variety that he brings to the attack. The left-armer has been expensive in the IPL since his excellent season with the Rising Pune Supergiant, and much like the other players on this list, he has a point to prove.

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RR's Predicted Playing XI for IPL 2020:

Jos Buttler, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson, Steve Smith (c), Robin Uthappa (wk), Ben Stokes, Riyan Parag, Rahul Tewatia, Jofra Archer, Shreyas Gopal, Jaydev Unadkat