IPL 2020: 3 new buys of Rajasthan Royals to watch out for
Rajasthan Royals (RR), the winners of the first-ever edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) all the way back in 2008, emerged as underdogs who eventually beat favourites Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the final. However, the side which has had great mentors such as Shane Warne and Rahul Dravid to help in locating and grooming talented players has never gotten close to winning the IPL since then.
The Royals, who have always stayed faithful to the true purpose of the IPL, which is finding the next genration of Indian talent, have been blessed to find players like Sanju Samson and Ajinkya Rahane who went from being unknowns to heroes for the side.
In recent years, along with domestic talent, the franchise has also focused on bringing in international young talent. While the international stars like Jofra Archer, Steve Smith, and Jos Butler have been explosive, young talents like Riyan Parag have proved to be solid prospects for the future.
The Royals have managed to rope in a good combination of players in this year's IPL auction as well. Some of these players have made it in the big leagues before, and others have impressed with either their domestic or junior level performances. All in all, the Royals would be hoping to get them closer to the title but also for players to be a part of the franchise's core in the years to come.
Here, we take a look at 3 new buys for RR who could be key to their success.
#1 Robin Uthappa
The veteran wicket-keeper batsman who used to play domestic cricket for his home state Karnataka now plays for Kerala. Robin Uthappa, who was a key part of the Kolkata Knight Riders' outfit for the past few years was released after a poor season. Having been their leading run-scorer in their title-winning 2014 season, Uthappa can be the perfect anchor for the side, especially in the absence of their former mainstay Ajinkya Rahane, who was traded off to the Delhi Capitals ahead of the auctions.
Uthappa, having last played for India in 2015 would be eager to showcase his skills for his new franchise, especially given the fact that India may still be looking at a back-up T20I wicket-keeper batsman for the World T20.
#2 Yashasvi Jaiswal
The batsman who was the talk of the town for rising above difficult times in his life to become the leading run-scorer as well as the man of the tournament in the Under 19 World Cup, could be one of the Rajasthan Royals' most valued buys.
The left-handed opener has all the shots in the book, and to add to it, also has a level of maturity that doesn't come easy even to the players of senior national teams. Yashasvi Jaiswal, a naturally explosive opener might get the freedom to open the batting and express himself.
Given the rich vein of form that he is in, especially after his performances for Mumbai in the Vijay Hazare Trophy as well as for India in the Under-19 World Cup, Jaiswal would be hungry for more. Batting alongside senior players who have played all around the world will help him and the Royals in pursuit of the IPL trophy.
#3 David Miller
Killer Miller, as he is known, was a force to be reckoned with while he was with Kings XI Punjab (KXIP). As a left-handed batsman who could bat in the middle-order and finish the innings with explosive strikes all around the ground, David Miller is the type of player who any franchise would have loved to have.
However, after a slump in form for 2 consecutive years, KXIP decided that it was time to part ways with Miller, which allowed the Royals to swoop in for the buy. This may prove to be a great move, as Miller who wasn't quite convincing with his form, is now slowly regaining his touch.
Having played 4 ODIs in 2020 for South Africa, the southpaw has managed 173 runs, striking at 110, having gotten out just once. He has managed a decent average of 25 for a middle-order batsman in the last 6 T20Is that he has played. Miller would be hoping to show his new side that he still has the finishing skills to win games.