IPL 2018: 3 players who can replace Jos Buttler for Rajasthan Royal’s last league game
Rajasthan Royals will be without the services of in-form Jos Buttler for their last league game of the season against Royal Challengers Bangalore. The 27-year-old has been recalled to the England team for their first Test against Pakistan on 24th May. Buttler last played a Test match for England in December 2016 and was dropped from the squad after the tour of India.
It is a must-win game for the Rajasthan Royals as anything but a win will definitely knock them out of the competition. It is almost an impossible task for Rahane to replace Buttler, given his scintillating form. With five fifties in his last six games, he has single-handedly carried Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2018.
Having said that, Royals have players in their squad to step in and fill the void left by Buttler. On that note, let’s take a look at the three possible candidates who can replace the Englishman for the game against Royal Challengers.
#1 Heinrich Klaasen
Rajasthan Royals bought Heinrich Klaasen as a replacement for their banned skipper Steve Smith. Klaasen was brilliant for the Proteas in the One Day Internationals and Twenty20I against India in February. He batted well in the middle order and even won a T20 game on his own.
The 26-year-old already played twice for Royals this season and even opened the batting once. Klaasen has played 51 T20 games in his career and scored more than 1000 runs. He averages almost 34 and has a strike rate of 146.
He is a versatile batsman who can play anywhere in the lineup. Also, his wicket keeping ability puts him as a front-runner to replace Buttler for their final league game.