IPL 2021: 3 best performers for Rajasthan Royals this year

Inaugural Indian Premier League (IPL) winners Rajasthan Royals (RR) failed to qualify for the playoffs in the 2021 edition of the tournament. RR finished in the bottom half of the points table for the third consecutive season.

Last year, the Rajasthan Royals attained the last spot in the standings while this season they will finish seventh, just above Sunrisers Hyderabad.

The Jaipur-based franchise got off to a good start in IPL 2021's UAE leg, pulling off a miraculous win against the Punjab Kings. However, the Sanju Samson-led outfit could not continue their winning momentum. They bounced back into the tournament with another unbelievable performance when they stunned the Chennai Super Kings by chasing a 190-run target inside 18 overs.

The Rajasthan Royals were in contention for the IPL 2021 playoffs before their last two league matches against the Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders. However, they failed to make it to the top 4 as they suffered big defeats in their final two fixtures.

While many fans expect the Rajasthan Royals to revamp their squad for the IPL 2022 season, there are a few bright spots in their IPL 2021 campaign that should not be ignored. In this listicle, we will look at the top three performers for the Jaipur-based franchise this year.

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#1 Sanju Samson - Highest run-scorer for Rajasthan Royals

Kolkata Knight Riders captain Eoin Morgan (L) with Rajasthan Royals skipper Sanju Samson (Image Courtesy: IPLT20.com)

Sanju Samson made his IPL captaincy debut in 2021. The wicket-keeper batter tried his best to take the Rajasthan Royals to the top. However, an inexperienced Indian group coupled with the absence of the team's English stars cost RR a place in the next round.

Samson led his team from the front, aggregating 484 runs in 14 matches. He started the season with a bang, registering a century against the Punjab Kings. Later in the tournament, Samson recorded two 50+ scores and ended IPL 2021 as the most successful batter from the Rajasthan squad.

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#2 Evin Lewis

Evin Lewis was initially not part of the Rajasthan Royals squad but was added to the team before the UAE leg as a replacement for Jos Buttler. Lewis did not disappoint the RR fans as he aggregated 151 runs in five matches.

Most batters have struggled to score runs on UAE pitches this year. However, Evin Lewis had a strike rate of 162.36 in the Gulf nation. He could have made a bigger impact had he been a member of the team in the first phase as well.

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#3 Chetan Sakariya

Chetan Sakariya was one of the finds of the season. Rajasthan Royals became the first IPL franchise to sign him at the 2021 Auction. The left-arm pacer started his IPL career with a three-wicket haul against the Punjab Kings. Later in the tournament, Chetan dismissed both Suresh Raina and MS Dhoni in the same match while playing against Chennai Super Kings.

Sakariya was so impressive that he received his maiden Indian cap after the first phase of IPL 2021. He ended the season with 14 wickets in 14 matches.

It should not be a surprise if the left-arm fast bowler earns a big contract at the upcoming mega auction.