IPL 2019: 3 weakest batting line-ups on paper
Batting is the most important element of any squad in the IPL. One cannot hope to win T20 matches by putting inadequate runs on the board. Although it is said that no team can survive without a strong bowling attack, at the end of the day it is the runs that count and the team who scores more of them ends up being victorious.
In the era of flat pitches, big bats and smaller boundaries, the batsmen have all the tools at their disposal to score big runs. Hence, it is imperative for them to make the best use of the conditions and give bowlers a huge total to bowl at.
In the IPL 2019 Auction, some teams were passive when batsmen were up for grabs and did not bid for them thinking they got enough batting in their tank. However, it was too late when they realized the others have built much stronger batting arsenal and their own is looking brittle. As a result, these teams are over-reliant on a couple of batsmen which is clearly not a good sign.
In this article, we will take a look at the three batting line-ups that appear to be the weakest on the paper.
#3 Rajasthan Royals
The Rajasthan Royals' batting line-up in the IPL 2019 is a mixed bag. While there are some superstar batsmen like Ajinkya Rahane, Steve Smith, Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson, and Ben Stokes, there is plenty of inexperience in there as well.
The biggest problem the RR will be facing is that their big names viz. Steve Smith, Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes will be departing halfway through the tournament as the World Cup is around the corner and also because England is playing a series against Pakistan just before that. When they leave, Rajasthan will be exposed to the inexperience of domestic players.
In such circumstances, it is very imperative for both Rahane and Samson to make a contribution every game to make sure that RR stays in the hunt for the playoffs.
Batting options: Ajinkya Rahane, Steve Smith, Sanju Samson, Jos Buttler, Ben Stokes, Rahul Tripathi, Prashant Chopra, Stuart Binny, Manan Vohra, Shubham Ranjane, Liam Livingstone, Ashton Turner, Riyan Parag, Jofra Archer, Krishnappa Gowtham, Dhawal Kulkarni, Shreyas Gopal