IPL: 5 players that Rajasthan Royals are missing

The Rajasthan Royals have been the dark horses of the IPL for so many years now. They have been the entrants to the IPL playoffs thrice (2008, 2013 and 2015) and have gone on to clinch the maiden IPL title under the captaincy of Shane Warne. The team was banned from participating in the 2016 and 2017 editions on account of wrongdoings by the owners.

The champions of the inaugural edition had banked on budding, young talents to get the job done for them. Over the years, many youngsters who have played for the Royals have gone on to make a mark in the international arena.

However, the Royals have axed some of these young players over the years when they had established themselves on the bigger stage. This is something that the Royals would be rueing badly.

Let us take a look at 5 players that Rajasthan regret letting go.

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#5 James Faulkner

Faulkner's uncanny finishing abilities proved mighty useful for the RR over the years

The left-arm Aussie seamer was a great utility player for the Royals during his stint with them. His back-of-the-hand slower delivery was difficult to pick, which made him one of the most feared death bowlers around.

Also, he had an uncanny knack of whacking the ball and seeing his side home in close finishes. Faulkner's strike rate of 144 made him a handy customer at number 7. Also, he has picked 53 wickets from 48 games for the Men in Blue. After Rajasthan's ban in 2015, he was snapped up by the Gujarat Lions and played for them for two seasons.

On their comeback, the Royals opted to not pick him and let him go unsold at the auction. It was quite surprising on their part to leave out a proven match-winner, who in his prime is known to pull off big surprises.

#4 Ravindra Jadeja

Ravindra Jadeja's best years came for the CSK after Rajasthan let him go

The Saurashtra all-rounder established himself on the international scene after some useful performances for the Rajasthan Royals. Jadeja spent the first three seasons of the IPL with the Men in Blue, after which he was axed from the Royals' squad.

Subsequently, he played for the Kochi franchise and Chennai Super Kings with whom he spent a lot of time and really grew in stature as a cricketer. Today, Jadeja is one of the best spin-bowling all-rounders not only in India but in world cricket.

After leaving the RR, Jadeja has scored 868 runs at a strike of 132 for the CSK. He also has 65 wickets against his name. Jadeja has gone on to establish himself in the Indian team as well. Had Rajasthan Royals shown some patience and kept Jadeja in the squad, they would have been the beneficiaries of his talent. However, that was not to be.

#3 Karun Nair

Karun Nair was another bright talent that the RR found

The uber-talented Karnataka batsman was a vital cog in the Royals' middle order during his days with the franchise. Karun Nair played for the Rajasthan Royals in 2014 and 2015 editions of the IPL. Nair's figures of 511 runs in 23 matches at a decent strike rate of 135 are noteworthy.

During his stint with the Royals, Nair grew from strength to strength. One thing about his batting is that he makes batting look very easy with the range of shots he has got. After losing him to Delhi Daredevils during their ban, the Royals did not buy him back at the 2018 auction.

It was flabbergasting since Nair is having a really good time in the IPL scoring runs at will in recent years. He has already shown glimpses of his talent for the Kings XI Punjab in this season. Nair's inclusion would have increased the strength of the RR batting line-up significantly.

#2 Yusuf Pathan

Yusuf Pathan earned a place in the Indian team on the back of IPL performances

Yusuf Pathan was the find of the 2008 IPL season for the Rajasthan Royals. His match-winning performances helped the Rajasthan Royals clinch the inaugural IPL title. For the Royals, Pathan has scored more than 1000 runs at a devastating strike rate of 161.

Even after 2008, he continued to be a great performer, playing some devastating knocks for the Royals, a notable one being his 37-ball 100 against the MI in IPL 2010. Surprisingly, the Rajasthan Royals let him go after just 3 seasons and Pathan joined the KKR with whom he played some fiery knocks, helping them win two IPL titles.

At the Kolkata Knight Riders, Pathan was the captain's utility player. His all-round abilities gave balance to the KKR team. Had Royals retained their most powerful striker, they could have had more than one to the tally of their IPL titles.

#1 Shane Watson

Shane Watson has been RR's best all-rounder till date

Shane Watson had been a seasoned player for the RR in first eight seasons of the IPL. He was the Tan of the tournament when the Rajasthan Royals won the inaugural edition of the IPL in 2008. Watson's 2474 runs from 84 games at a strike rate of 140 are enough to prove the enormity of his impact.

After the Rajasthan Royal's ban from the IPL in 2015, Watson was picked up by the Royal Challengers Bangalore where he spent a couple of years. On their comeback, the Rajasthan Royals did not pick Watson in 2018. The 36 year-old is already showing that he is still as good as he was for the Chennai Super Kings this year.

Moreover, Watson has served as captain for the RR as well, leading from the front on many occasions. Letting Watson go is move that the Rajasthan Royals will badly rue since having Watson's experience and all-round abilities would have added a lot of value to the table.