The Rajasthan Royals (RR had started off their IPL 2020 campaign with two back-to-back victories, but have since lost three consecutive matches. The batting order looks in turmoil with inconsistency, and getting runs on the board has been hard for the team. Captain Steve Smith and Sanju Samson had a blasting start this season but in the last three matches have lost their wicket early on in the start.
Royals are set to face Delhi Capitals next on October 9, who until now have the best record in the tournament this year with four wins in five matches. The Rajasthan camp had a sigh of relief when Ben Stokes travelled to the UAE last week to join the Jaipur-based franchise. He is in quarantine at the moment and will be available to play in their match against SRH on October 11.
Here’s our predicted XI for Rajasthan Royals
1. Jos Buttler
Jos Buttler had a slow start to IPL 2020 but looks to have found his flow back. Buttler scored an emphatic 70 runs in Rajasthan Royals’ failed chase of 194 runs, against Mumbai Indians. The wicket-keeper batsman has scored 114 runs total in four matches played this term.
2. Steve Smith
Rajasthan gave a second opportunity to their new 18-year-old signing Yashasvi Jaiswal in their match against Mumbai. He again failed to deliver and was dismissed for 0. Rajasthan Royals might drop him again and play Steve Smith at the top with Jos Buttler, considering the fierce pace bowling of Delhi Capitals.
The skipper scored two fifties in the first two matches but has since lost his momentum. He will look to add some runs against DC for the team.
3. Sanju Samson
The 25-year-old batsman had a thumping start to the IPL 2020 with two Man of the Match performances, but just like captain Smith, he has failed to deliver ever since. With the match against Delhi being played in Sharjah, Samson may take advantage of the smaller ground to score a knock and get his confidence back.
4. Mahipal Lomror
The 20-year-old made his debut for Rajasthan Royals in their match against RCB and scored 47 off 39 balls and helped them recover for the early losses in the match. In their match against KKR, he scored 11 off 13. Lomror looks promising in the middle order and is likely to start against DC.
5. Rahul Tewatia
Tewatia didn’t have the best outing against MI, scoring only five runs, but he looks to have cemented his place in the Rajasthan middle order. He has been economical with the ball too and has four wickets to his name. In five matches he has scored 106 runs for the team.
6. Riyan Parag
The 18-year-old can be fielded again on the pitch against DC, with Yashasvi Jaiswal failing to perform yet again. A shuffle can be seen for Jaiswal and Parag with the latter resting in the last match and paving way for Jaiswal who failed to make a mark.
7. Tom Curran
Curran has been expensive bowling for Rajasthan and not too good with the bat either. With his compatriot Ben Stokes looking to make a return in their match against SRH, Curran could play his last game of IPL 2020 for RR against DC, making way for his fellow countryman.
8. Jofra Archer
The England speedster has been RR’s most consistent player in IPL 2020. He has 5 wickets to his name, bowling with a decent economy of 7.1, and has scored 86 runs in 3 innings for the Royals at a mammoth strike rate of 238.88. He will surely be seen in the starting XI of RR for the whole campaign.
9. Shreyas Gopal
Gopal bagged two wickets against MI and only gave away 28 runs. He is an important piece of the Rajasthan bowling attack and will retain his place for their match against Delhi Capitals at the Sharjah cricket stadium.
10. Kartik Tyagi
The 20-year-old, right-arm pacer was bought for a whopping INR 1.3 crores by RR in the December 2019 auction, after an impressive spell in the U-19 World Cup 2020 for India. He was given his debut against MI, benching veteran Jaydev Unadkat.
Tyagi bagged a wicket but gave away 36 runs in his four-overs spell. He will be a starter again for their next match as Rajasthan Royals look to experiment with their bowling options.
11. Varun Aaron
The 30-year-old veteran pacer can be started in the place of Ankit Rajpoot, who came in very expensive for Rajasthan Royals in their match against MI. Varun Aaron hasn’t played a single match for RR in the IPL 2020.
