Ever since their success in the inaugural edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), Rajasthan Royals (RR) have failed to live up to their fans’ expectations. The team from Jaipur is certainly not in the fray when one thinks about the top four franchises in the competition’s history. There is no guarantee that the team will step up and change their fortunes in 2022 but one cannot deny that they certainly have the personnel to do so. Skipper Sanju Samson has been a mainstay and a fan-favorite for many a year now but he has yet to really perform consistently over the course of a season, both as skipper and batter. The Royals had a good auction and do look a strong side on paper. Therefore it will be quite interesting to see how they perform on the field.
The Rajasthan Royals made an excellent start to the auction by acquiring two players from the marquee list, Ravichandran Ashwin and Trent Boult. With his immense experience, Ashwin was a steal at INR 5 crore, while Boult is excellent with the new ball and at the end of an innings. They also signed Shimron Hetmyer, who can serve as a finisher if the top order is already filled.
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The franchise has struggled to find a strong Indian contingent over the years, but they had done their homework thoroughly ahead of the auction. Yuzvendra Chahal, a match-winner with the ball who forms an excellent spin attack alongside Ashwin, was signed by the franchise. The surprising selection was Devdutt Padikkal, who has mostly played at the top of the order, who was acquired for INR 7.75 crore.
Players retained: Sanju Samson (captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Jos Buttler.
Players bought: Ravichandran Ashwin, Trent Boult, Devdutt Padikkal, Shimron Hetmyer, Prasidh Krishna, Yuzvendra Chahal, Riyan Parag, KC Cariappa, Navdeep Saini, Obed McCoy, Anunay Singh, Kuldeep Sen, Karun Nair, Dhruv Jurel, Tejas Baroka, Kuldip Yadav, Shubham Garhwal, James Neesham, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Rassie van der Dussen, Daryl Mitchell.
The Royals seems to have assembled a fairly well-balanced squad that has a number of essential players in every department. At the top of the order, Devdutt Padikkal and Yashasvi Jaiswal will be absolutely crucial. The two young Indian batters will have the security of the vastly experienced Jos Buttler, presumably coming in at number 3. Buttler and skipper Samson will be responsible for building the innings in case Padikkal and Jaiswal both falter.
The bowling department also seems pretty strong, especially in the spin department. Chahal and Ashwin and two of the best bowlers in India at the moment, and the off-spin leg-spin combination can seriously damage other teams. Trent Boult will be important in leading the pace attack.
South African Rassie van der Dussen is an important player for the Royals as his recent form has been quite exceptional. Aussies James Neesham and Nathan Coulter-Nile, with their vast experience, can also make a difference.
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The Royals seems to have gotten a very strong batting unit together. The likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Devdutt Padikkal, Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson, and Rassie van der Dussen are all dangerous players and even if only two out of the five can fire on a given day, it will be a pretty good bet for the men in pink. Bowling-wise, the Royals look strong as well. Chahal and Ashwin, with their skill and experience, can cause a lot of trouble for opposition batters while Trent Boult’s raw pace is also a highly valuable asset.
Samson will have to contend with the problem of plenty when it comes to overseas players. There is no doubt that the Royals have some great players in their ranks but they cannot play everyone. While some would argue that variety is a good thing, too much of it can lead to uncertainties. Team selection has to be absolutely spot on, and that too on a consistent basis, if Samson wants to lead his team to the playoffs.
The strong batting unit of the Royals will be something that will play to Samson’s advantage for sure. The top-order batters all have the ability to build a solid innings consistently. The men in pink also have the likes of Shimron Hetmyer and Riyan Parag in their ranks who can play the role of a finisher and score a lot of runs in the back end of an innings. However, a lot will be dependent on Trent Boult’s form. He is the only experienced pacer in the squad and is likely to bowl at the start and the death. If he suffers an injury or is off form, things can get messy.
David Miller, Evin Lewis, Manan Vohra, Riyan Parag, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Chris Morris, Liam Livingstone, Mahipal Lomror, Rahul Tewatia, Shivam Dube, Shreyas Gopal, Anuj Rawat, Glenn Phillips, Sanju Samson, Akash Singh, Chetan Sakariya, Gerald Coetzee, Jaydev Unadkat, Kartik Tyagi, KC Cariappa, Kuldip Yadav, Mayank Markande, Mustafizur Rahman, Oshane Thomas, Tabraiz Shamsi.
Much like the seasons foregone, RR rounded off a disappointing season in 2021. The men in pink could only secure five wins in 14 matches, losing the remaining nine. They have never looked like a side capable of going all the way ever since the inaugural IPL in 2008. Squad selection was a bit of an issue for them last year as a number of players were out of action. However, this time around, Sanju Samson has a fine team at his disposal and he would be hoping to make it to the playoff stages.