IPL 2018: 4 strategic blunders that have placed Rajasthan Royals on the verge of elimination

S Sam
Rajasthan Royals v Mumbai - India IPL T20
Ben Stokes

#1 Misuse of Jos Buttler

Rajasthan Royals v Kings XI Punjab - IPL T20 Match
Jos Buttler

In Jos Buttler, RR have one of the world’s most destructive batsmen but for the first seven games in this year’s IPL, he was sent in to bat in the middle-order and it was a position in which he struggled. While D’Arcy Short was struggling in the opener’s slot, Buttler was struggling against spinners in the middle-order and it was only when the team had to chase a big score in a rain-shortened game that the Englishman was sent up the order. Since then, he has been brilliant and has been responsible for the revival in RR’s fortunes.

However, it is a move that should not be called a masterstroke, simply because of the fact that the team reacted late and in fact, misused the player in the initial part of the tournament. It was a strategic blunder of epic proportions and one that they will probably live to regret.

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