Irfan Pathan picks the 4 players the Rajasthan Royals should retain ahead of the IPL 2022 Auction

Irfan Pathan has picked the four players the Rajasthan Royals should retain ahead of the IPL 2022 auction.

The Rajasthan Royals did not have a great time in IPL 2021. The franchise was hit hard due to injuries and the absence of some of its big-ticket players like Ben Stokes, Jofra Archer and Jos Buttler, and finished seventh in the points table.

During a discussion on the Star Sports show Game Plan, Irfan Pathan picked Sanju Samson as the first retention for the Rajasthan Royals. He explained:

"Sanju will be No. 1. He has been playing for a long time and has been performing. The performance has improved even further and he is also doing captaincy, it adds value."

The former India all-rounder named Jos Buttler as his first overseas retention pick for the Rajasthan Royals. Pathan reasoned:

"The second name will be Jos Buttler. He is the boss, he is batting very well. He is currently one of the best hitters in white-ball cricket, he can bat both at the top and down the order. You will not want to leave him."

Buttler opted out of the UAE leg of IPL 2021. However, he was still the second-highest run-scorer for the Rajasthan Royals in the tournament, with his 254 runs in just seven matches only behind Samson's 484.

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Irfan Pathan's other two retention picks for the Rajasthan Royals

Jofra Archer has stood out for the Rajasthan Royals with the ball [P/C: iplt20.com]

Irfan Pathan picked Jofra Archer ahead of Ben Stokes as the other overseas player the Rajasthan Royals should retain. He observed:

"The third name, a lot of people might think about Ben Stokes. But I will go with Jofra Archer. I have said it before that I see Jofra Archer in the mold of Jasprit Bumrah. He wins you matches in T20 cricket both with the new ball and at the death, and along with that the pace he has, he is a fantastic bowler."

Yashasvi Jaiswal was the 37-year-old's final retention pick for the Rajasthan Royals. Pathan stated:

"There are a lot of options for the fourth player. You have Sakariya, Yashasvi Jaiswal. You will think about a lot of guys but I will go with Yashasvi."

Jaiswal gave a decent account of himself for the Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2021. The youngster scored 249 runs in 10 matches at an excellent strike rate of 148.21 and could be a long-term prospect for the franchise.