IPL 2019: Strongest playing XI of each of the 8 franchises
The 12th edition of the Indian Premier League is all set to begin on the 23rd of March in Chennai and it is that time of the year when Indian fans are usually divided on the basis of their cities.
IPL is the toughest and the most competitive T20 league in the world. This year's auction saw some new players throwing their hats into the ring and the franchises were also more than willing to spend a huge amount on some untested names.
Several new players have joined the teams and some old guards have switched teams and therefore the fans would be interested to know how their team would line up in the league this year.
The 2019 World cup which will begin within weeks after the completion of IPL will definitely be a factor that will affect the league this year. A number of players have already opted out of the league and there might be a number of others who will be partly rested through the course of the tournament. This article gives the strongest XI that each IPL team can have.
Rajasthan Royals
Rajasthan Royals will have their former captain Steve Smith back for this year's competition and he will be a huge asset for the team. Rahane will open the batting along with Jos Butler and they will be followed by Steve Smith, Sanju Samson, and Rahul Tripathi/ Mahipal Lomror. Lomror will be a better option for Rajasthan Royals considering the fact that Tripathi has struggled to bat in the middle overs.
The batsmen will be followed by the all-rounders in Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer. Krishnappa Gowtham is the lead spinner in the side and he will be accompanied by Shreyas Gopal, who performed brilliantly last year.
The Indian pace bowlers will be Dhawal Kulkarni and the Jaydev Unadkat, who was bought for a lesser price in this year's Auction
Strongest Playing XI: Ajinkya Rahane, Jos Butler, Steve Smith, Sanju Samson (WK), Mahipal Lomror, Ben Stokes, Jofra Archer, K Gowtham, Dhawal Kulkarni, Shreyas Gopal, Jaydev Unadkat