IPL 2020: 3 key foreign players for Rajasthan Royals
Rajasthan Royals had a poor outing in the last edition of the IPL and finished at 7th position on the table. They will be looking to improve their performance after a disappointing 2019 season. They have the Indian and overseas players to lead them to strong performances during the 2020 IPL.
In particular, the Royals have the firepower in their overseas arsenal to topple the very best and go all the way in this edition of the cash-rich league.
On that note, let's look at 3 key overseas players for Rajasthan Royals in this edition of the IPL.
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#3 Steve Smith
Steven Smith is going to be one of the most vital components of the Rajasthan Royals squad. He is one of the top players of this generation in international cricket with an outstanding record in all formats. He has the capability to play unorthodox cricketing shots like the reverse sweep with ease.
Smith has the game to play a responsible innings if the Royals lose early wickets and can depend on him to get to a respectable score. After missing the 2018 season, due to the ball-tampering scandal, he has shown that he still has the appetite to score big runs and has let his bat do all the talking. Rajasthan Royals management would want him to score big runs for the franchise as he has done for the Australian National Team.
Smith has scored 2022 runs in 81 matches during his IPL career, at an average of 37.44 and a strike rate of 128.95. He scored 319 runs in IPL 2019 along with three half-centuries.
#2 Ben Stokes
Ben Stokes made his IPL debut in 2017 for the Rising Pune Giants team which does not exist now. He hit a century during his maiden IPL season.
He has the talent to be a vital cog in the Rajasthan Royals setup. Although he did not perform to his full potential in IPL 2018 and 2019, he has been in good form for the English cricket team in 2019 and played some really blistering knocks recently. He also has the talent to be a game-changer with the ball. Rajasthan Royals management would want him to repeat the same performance for his franchise as he has done for the English national team.
Stokes has scored 635 runs in 34 matches in his IPL career so far at an average of 22,67 with a high score of 103. In 2019, he scored 123 runs at an average of 20.50 with a high score of 46 and also took 6 wickets.
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#1 Jos Buttler
Jos Buttler made his IPL debut in 2016 when he was bought by Mumbai Indians. During the 2018 season, he was bought by Rajasthan Royals where his fortunes changed after being asked to open during the mid-season. The English batsman has been the mainstay of the Royals batting lineup during the past couple of seasons. His strike rate has been over 150 in the last three editions of the IPL, which makes him a prized scalp for opposition bowlers. He is one of the most brutal strikers of the white ball in international cricket.
He has scored 1386 runs in 45 matches during his IPL career, at an average of 35,53 and a strike rate of 150.81. He also has taken 25 catches along with affecting 1 stumping.