Rajasthan Royals (RR) want to win IPL 2023 after missing out previous year. Sanju Samson & Co. have high expectations again, even though the new season is months away.
They made smart plays at the Kochi IPL 2023 auction last month. West Indian all-rounder Jason Holder was their biggest signing. They also signed South African wicketkeeper-batter Donovan Ferreira.
RR seem well-prepared for IPL 2023. Had a couple of their previous players played this time, it would have looked much more scary.
1 Jofra Archer
Jofra Archer fits into most teams worldwide, therefore it’s a no-brainer. After an injury hiatus, the English speedster returns to cricket. He returned with a good innings against Paarl Royals, RR’s SA20 sister franchise.
Archer played for Rajasthan Royals three times between 2018 and 2020 and won the IPL 2020 MVP title. He will play for Mumbai Indians (MI) in IPL 2023 after two seasons sidelined by injuries.
The Royals also wanted Archer this year. He would have bolstered their batting lineup and given them a reliable death bowler.
Isn’t Archer joining RR for IPL 2023 tantalising? Naturally, he would have made their squad look more menacing.
2.Rahul Tripathi
In 2018 and 2019, Rahul Tripathi struggled with RR. After being released, he had a big impact for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) before selling for a lot to the Sunrisers Hyderabad in last year’s blockbuster auction.
Tripathi, a capped Indian player, can handle spin and pace, making him a T20 team’s dream batter. Tripathi might have fit into the RR roster for IPL 2023 due to Devdutt Padikkal’s form in the middle order and Riyan Parag’s untested batsmanship.
Tripathi amongst Yashasvi Jaiswal, Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson, and Shimron Hetmyer makes an already strong batting unit look complete for IPL 2023.
3-Deepak Hooda
Deepak Hooda joined the Royals in 2014 and debuted in 2015. His ability to clear the barrier at will attracted attention, but his league career never took off after that.
After a lengthy wait, he broke through with the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in IPL 2022 and made his India debut. He has matured and can handle spin, making him a good T20 No. 3 option.
Hooda’s insertion would have allowed RR to backload their captain Samson for the second half of their batting innings. Hooda, like Tripathi, would have been ideal for IPL 2023 as an Indian batsman who can handle spin and pace in the middle overs.
