After two long years, Rajasthan Royals make their comeback in the IPL. The start has not been a pleasant one for them as they have already lost their captain. Steve Smith was prohibited by the Indian cricket board due to his involvement in the ball tampering incident. This gave RR another chance to pick from unsold players and they selected Heinrich Klaasen who is a very good pick considering his recent form in the series against India.

Full Squad:

Ben Stokes, Jaydev Unadkat, Sanju Samson, Jofra Archer, K Gowtham, Jos Buttler, Rahul Tripathi, D’Arcy Short, Ajinkya Rahane, Dhawal Kulkarni, Zahir Khan, Ben Laughlin, Stuart Binny, Dushmantha Chameera, Anureet Singh, Aryaman Vikram Birla, Midhun S, Shreyas Gopal, Prashant Chopra, Jatin Saxena, Ankit Sharma, Mahipal Lomror, Heinrich Klaasen.

Also Read: IPL 2018 Preview: Rajasthan Royals – The Return of Majesty

Indian contingent:

Historically, Rajasthan Royals have always relied heavily on the Indian players since their inception in IPL. Their inaugural win under Shane Warne gave rise to a few future Indian superstars. This year they have Rahul Tripathi who impressed everyone last year with the Pune team. Jaydev Unadkat who will be wanting to prove his value.

The most difficult responsibility though lies in the hands of K.Gowtham. Rajasthan Royals have only two spinners – K. Gowtham and Shreyas Gopal. The inexperienced duo will have to face the fiercest of the batting attacks and try to beat them.

Captain Ajinkya Rahane, Dhawal Kulkarni and Sanju Samson will be the pillars this year for Royals. Much of their campaign will rely on these stalwarts.

Also Read: IPL 2018: Sawai Mansingh Stadium – Rajasthan Back at its Home

Foreign contingent:

Rajasthan Royals will depend heavily on one player that is Ben Stokes. The English all-rounder was named as the player of the tournament in IPL 2017. He will have to be at his best if Royals are to harbor any hopes of the trophy. He will be accompanied by the wicketkeeper Jos Buttler. The hard-hitting duo will be the key factor for Rajasthan to succeed.

Jofra Archer bowled excellently in the recent BBL season and there will be a lot of attention towards the young sensation. Heinrich Klaasen has this chance to showcase his talent to the Indian audience. Rajasthan has D’Arcy Short in the reserve as well, he is an exciting opening batsman from Hobart, Australia.

Also Read: IPL 2018: Rajasthan Royals To Miss Services Of Morris and Nair

Probable XI:

1. Rahul Tripathi

2. Ajinkya Rahane

3. Sanju Samson

4. Heinrich Klaasen $

5. Jos Buttler $

6. Ben Stokes $

7. K. Gowtham

8. Jofra Archer $

9. Shreyas Gopal/Stuart Binny

10. Jaidev Unadkat

11. Dhawal Kulkarni

    $ – Foreign Players

Variations:
Rajasthan Royal can pick Stuart Binny for seaming tracks and opt for Shreyas Gops on spinning pitches. They also have a backup opener in D’Arcy Short who can be very explosive at the top.