IPL 2018: Can revamped Rajasthan Royals replicate their first season success?

Halla Bol! Halla Bol! Yes, The inaugural champions of the Indian Premier League (IPL) i.e. Rajasthan Royals are back, after serving the suspension for two years (2016, 2017) due to spot-fixing and corruption. In 2008, when IPL was first launched Rajasthan were rank outsiders and then surprised everyone by winning the title.

So, what’s new for Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2018? The team before the mega-auctions retained Australian captain Steven Smith and wanted to start on a fresh note. RR, over the years ever since the days of Shane Warne, has relied on unknown and talented Indian players and were always championing the cause of youngsters. During this season, the management of Royals actually went against their instincts and business model and spent quite lavishly on players such as Ben Stokes (Rs 12.5 crore), Jaydev Unadkat (Rs 11.5 crore), Krishnappa Gowtham (Rs 6.2 crore), Jofra Archer (Rs 7.2 crore) and wanted to build a strong base.

If you look at the history of successful IPL teams, you will find that invariably Indian players, which fills seven spots have to be quite good. On this front, Royals have actually done quite well and the likes of Ajinkya Rahane, Jaydev Unadkat, Stuart Binny, Dhawal Kulkarni make a strong group despite not having big Indian names. But, the great thing about RR is that they empower players and there is no junior-senior divide in the team.

Now, coming back to overseas players, Smith-led side has problem of plenty because only four can play and when you have Stokes (best all-rounder in the world), Smith, Jos Buttler, Archer, D’Arcy Short, Ben Laughlin (highly rated in Australia), Dushmantha Chameera in your squad then it will be hard to pick four. Rajasthan Royals will be mentored by none other than Australian legend Shane Warne and knowing Warnie, he would tell his players to make smart decisions on the field.

The great thing about Royals’ overseas players is that all of them are match winners in their own right. Ben Stokes without a doubt is the undisputed No 1 all-rounder in world cricket (disciplinary issues aside), Jos Buttler is a ferocious striker of a cricket ball and holds the record for England’s fastest ODI hundred and also can double up as a keeper as well. The unknown duo of Archer and D’Arcy Short are highly talented and both had a stunning Big Bash League. So, if you combine these players with Indian ones then you have got a lethal combination.

Also read: IPL 2018 Squad Analysis: Will MS Dhoni’s magic as ‘Captain Cool’ work for CSK again?

Rajasthan Royals also have players like Sanju Samson, Rahul Tripathi (breakthrough year for RPS in 2017) and you can clearly see the imprint of Steven Smith on the side. Smith might not be a breath-taking or a swashbuckling T20 player, but reads the game pretty well and with match winners like Stokes, Buttler in your side more than half the job is done.

Can this team go all the way through? Shane Warne and Steven Smith have got a great squad to work with and it would be a disappointment if they can’t progress to the playoffs. The team has got a strong core (Smith, Stokes, Unadkat, Buttler, Rahane) and has a nice blend of youth and experience. So, in a nutshell, RR have got almost all bases covered and start on a very strong footing before the event. Warne has been a maverick all his life and, after winning the IPL in 2008 as a player, he would want to stamp his authority as a mentor and would like to win IPL 2018 to give the fans of Rajasthan some cheer after missing out for two years.

Prediction for 2018: Top four finish very much within the reach

Rajasthan Royals (likely XI): Ajinkya Rahane, Rahul Tripathi, Steven Smith (c), Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler (wk), Sanju Samson, Krishnappa Gowtham, Jofra Archer, Ankit Sharma, Jaydev Unadkat, Dhawal Kulkarni