IPL 2021: 3 players who could replace Jofra Archer in RR's starting XI
2008 IPL champions Rajasthan Royals will be taking on the new-look Punjab Kings in the fourth match of the 2021 season. Rajasthan Royals have undergone managerial changes with Sri Lankan stalwart Kumar Sangakkara taking over from Andrew McDonald.
Rajasthan Royals were quite active in the IPL auction and have bolstered the squad with the addition of Chris Morris, Shivam Dube, Liam Livingstone and Mustafizur Rahman. Punjab Kings opted to strengthen their all-round contingent with the likes of Shahrukh Khan, Moises Henriques, Fabian Allen and Jhye Richardson among others joining the franchise.
Though the Rajasthan Royals have managed to form a formidable squad, they will be missing the services of injured Jofra Archer for a major part of the IPL season. Jofra Archer has been one of RR's most valuable players with his prolific all-round contributions to the side.
Regarding Jofra Archer's injury, Kumar Sangakkara said:
"Sanju and I will both agree that it's a big blow for us. Jofra is a very vital part of our make-up and not to have him is unfortunately the reality of it. We have to work around it and plan contingencies."
On that note, we take a look at the players who could replace Jofra Archer in RR's starting XI.
Chetan Sakariya - He is a wicket-taking bowler
Chetan Sakariya has been one of the most consistent performers in domestic cricket and it is no surprise that RR had to shelve out 1.20 crores in the IPL auction to acquire him.
A product of the MRF Pace Foundation, Chetan is a wicket-taking bowler. He displayed terrific performances for Saurashtra in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and his bowling figures read 2/22, 2/31, 2/15 and 5/11. He could be one of the most likely players to replace Jofra Archer in RR's starting XI.
Kartik Tyagi - He is young and can have a breakthrough season
Kartik Tyagi, the 20-year-old fast bowler, impressed everyone with his variations in last IPL season. He finished as the second-highest wicket-taker in the 2020 U-19 Cricket World Cup. Though he might not prove to be an economical bowler, Kartik Tyagi could widely stifle the batsmen with his steady pace and wicket-taking abilities.
In the 10 IPL matches he played last season, he scalped 9 wickets at an economy rate of 9.61 runs per over.
Mustafizur Rahman - Has experience of Wankhede when he played for MI in IPL
Mustafizur Rahman, the left-arm spearhead, was roped in by Rajasthan Royals at his base price of 1 crore. Mustafizur Rahman could prove to be a bargain buy with his accurate yorkers and deceiving slower balls. Mustafizur Rahman has troubled many batsmen with his off-cutter and could come in handy during death overs.
Mustafizur Rahman has tons of experience playing on the Wankhede pitch during his time at Mumbai Indians and it could surely make him one of the possible favorites to replace Jofra Archer.