IPL 2021: 3 Rajasthan Royals players to watch out for in the UAE-leg of the tournament
The first phase of the IPL 2021 was a mixed bag for the Rajasthan Royals. They delivered spirited performances and blew away some sides along the way but the absence of their big names was always felt.
Rajasthan Royals have won three of their seven matches played in the first phase and as a result, find themselves in fifth place in the points table. They are level on points with the Punjab Kings, with six points to their name, but boast a better net run rate.
Rajasthan's marquee all-rounder, Ben Stokes, featured in just one game for his side before being sidelined because of a finger injury. The England ace all-rounder will not be available for this edition either. Apart from Stokes, his English counterparts Jos Buttler and Jofra Archer will also not be available for Rajasthan.
With such stalwarts missing out on the upcoming second-leg of the IPL, we take a look at three players who could make their mark in the IPL with the Royals.
#3 Glenn Phillips
The Kiwi batsman made his international debut in 2017 in a bilateral T20I series against South Africa. The Auckland batsman has 506 runs to his name in 25 T20Is with a strike rate of 149.70. He broke the record for the fastest century by a New Zealand batsman in a T20I match, smashing 108 off 51 balls against the West Indies.
The 24-year old is a bit of an all-rounder who can not only bat and bowl but also take the gloves behind the stumps if necessary. However, he will have some big boots to fill in Buttler's absence.
Phillips has made a name for himself with some impressive performances in franchise cricket and will be keen to leave his mark with the Rajasthan Royals in the IPL as well.
#2 Mustafizur Rahman
There were a few doubts about Mustafizur Rahman's ability to spearhead a Rajasthan Royals attack at the start of the IPL season. However, the Bangladesh bowler has only grown in confidence since the start of the tournament.
Mustafizur recently credited one of his Rajasthan Royals coaches, Sid Lahiri, for his improvement and for the good run of form he has been on.
In the first half of the IPL, Mustafizur was Rajasthan's second-highest wicket taker with 8 wickets to his name, at an average of 28.0 and an economy rate of 8.29. Entering the second-leg of the IPL on the back of a historic series victory against Australia, "The Fizz" will be looking to lead the Royals into the playoffs, alongside Chris Morris and Chetan Sakariya.
#3 Liam Livingstone
Potentially Rajasthan's most important and dynamic player in the current squad, Liam Livingstone, will undoubtedly be the man to watch out for in the resumed tournament. Earlier this year, Livingstone smashed the fastest T20 century by an Englishman in just 42 balls against Pakistan.
He continued his fine form in The Hundred tournament, leading the run-scoring charts in addition to leading the chart for most sixes in the tournament. Not only can Livingstone wallop a cricket ball alright, he's a gun on the field and an uncanny spinner who can vary between off-breaks and leg-breaks.
On recent form, Livingstone seems like a no-brainer in the England squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup. That may not be the best news for Rajasthan, should they make it to the playoffs.
England are scheduled to tour Pakistan for two T20Is on October 14 and 15 as part of their preparations for the T20 World Cup. Livingstone and his English counterparts could be making an early exit from the tournament should the Pakistan series go ahead.
Rajasthan Royals are fifth in the points table and will resume their IPL 2021 campaign against the Punjab Kings (PBKS) on September 21.