IPL: 5 players that Rajasthan Royals are missing
The Rajasthan Royals have been the dark horses of the IPL for so many years now. They have been the entrants to the IPL playoffs thrice (2008, 2013 and 2015) and have gone on to clinch the maiden IPL title under the captaincy of Shane Warne. The team was banned from participating in the 2016 and 2017 editions on account of wrongdoings by the owners.
The champions of the inaugural edition had banked on budding, young talents to get the job done for them. Over the years, many youngsters who have played for the Royals have gone on to make a mark in the international arena.
However, the Royals have axed some of these young players over the years when they had established themselves on the bigger stage. This is something that the Royals would be rueing badly.
Let us take a look at 5 players that Rajasthan regret letting go.
#5 James Faulkner
The left-arm Aussie seamer was a great utility player for the Royals during his stint with them. His back-of-the-hand slower delivery was difficult to pick, which made him one of the most feared death bowlers around.
Also, he had an uncanny knack of whacking the ball and seeing his side home in close finishes. Faulkner's strike rate of 144 made him a handy customer at number 7. Also, he has picked 53 wickets from 48 games for the Men in Blue. After Rajasthan's ban in 2015, he was snapped up by the Gujarat Lions and played for them for two seasons.
On their comeback, the Royals opted to not pick him and let him go unsold at the auction. It was quite surprising on their part to leave out a proven match-winner, who in his prime is known to pull off big surprises.