The winners of the inaugural edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), Rajasthan Royals (RR) have picked some quality players on their side for the upcoming season.
Apart from the first edition, RR had a series of ordinary seasons after that. In the UAE in 2020, they even finished last.
This time around, the Jaipur-based team will aim for the crown yet again. RR have managed to cover all departments with some top-tier talent. The only minor concern for them could be death bowling, but under the guidance of Lasith Malinga and Kumar Sangakkara, the fans of the team shouldn’t be too concerned. Let’s take a look at the top three players who could be important for the Sanju Samson led-team in the IPL 2022 season:
1. Sanju Samson
Once again Sanju Samson will be up for a challenge to lead the Royals. Last year, Samson had a fantastic season with the bat. He scored 484 runs in 14 matches, with an average of 40.33 at a strike rate of 136.72. During the tournament, he hit a century and two half-centuries.
In total, Samson has scored 3068 runs in 121 IPL matches. He scored three centuries in his IPL career so far and will hope to add a few more. Samson is an important member of the team, and fans will be hoping that he can turn the team’s fortune around this season.
2. Jos Buttler
Jos Buttler has been a key figure for the team for the last few years, arguably one of the best T20 batters in the world and one of the most destructive hitters of the cricket ball. He only played seven matches last year and scored 254 runs at an average of 36.28 with a strike rate of 153.01. The good news for fans is that he will be available throughout the season.
If Jos is settled early in the innings, he has the potential to cause significant damage to the opponents. He will have an added advantage at Wankhede because the pitch will help him get strokes off the bat elegantly. If the English batsman has a good season, the inaugural champions have a good chance of making it to the playoffs.
3. Trent Boult
With Mumbai Indians (MI) opting for Jofra Archer in the IPL 2022 auction, the Royals went for Trent Boult and paid a good price for him. The bowling attack will be bolstered by the presence of Boult, who can undoubtedly swing things for the Royals in the IPL 2022.
The 32-year-old has extensive experience playing at the Wankhede Stadium, which will be extremely beneficial to the Royals. Before joining RR, the New Zealand pacer took 38 wickets for MI in the IPL 2020 and 2021. In total, he has 76 wickets from 62 matches. It’ll be interesting to see how Samson utilizes Boult’s talent.
RR will begin their IPL 2022 journey against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on March 29, in Pune.