Rajasthan Royals has always produced star cricketers from scratch. From Yusuf Pathan to Steve Smith to Ravindra Jadeja. We have seen all these players excel at Rajasthan Royals at some point in time.
Though Royals have never been able to live up to the reputation they carried with themselves in 2008. The constant change in team management and betting scandal restricted their chance of qualification on most occasions.
With Steve Smith back as captain for this Rajasthan will hope to finish in the top four this time. They had already got the firepower in the form of Ben Stokes, Smith and Jofra Archer. So in the IPL 2020, they build their team around the core. The team owner Manoj Badale made some interesting picks, hoping to put up a good show this year.
Let’s take a look at the Top 3 new picks to watch out for in Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2020
David Miller
Killer Miller in the IPL for his ability to score quick runs at a very healthy strike-rate. He was associated with the Kings XI Punjab franchise and was instrumental in finishing off multiple matches for the Punjab based franchise.
His most memorable innings came in 2013 season when he smashed 101* against RCB. Miller’s 8 year-long association with the franchise in 2019 as they decided not to retain him. His poor show in the 2019 season where he averaged just 26 led to his ouster from the Kings franchise.
In the 2020 IPL auction, he was picked by RR for $105,000. It is expected that he will bat at 4-5 depending on the situation. We might also see him playing the role of a finisher if needed as he possesses the intent to score quickly.
Robin Uthappa
Robin Uthappa is one of the most experienced players in the history of IPL. He started off his career with Mumbai Indians in 2008. Then, he went on to represent Royal Challengers Bangalore, Pune Warriors India before settling in Kolkata Knight Riders long term.
In the 2014 edition, he won the Orange Cap scoring 660 runs in 16 matches. Following that, his form dipped in 2018 where he averaged just 21 with the bat. His subsequently poor form in 2019 season and inability to score quickly led to KKR releasing him ahead of the 2020 IPL auction.
In the 2020 IPL auction, Rajasthan Royals picked him for $420,000. The Royals would cherish the wealth of experience Uthappa brings into their side. We expect him to open batting since that’s his strong forte as he’s most likely set to partnered with explosive wicket-keeper batsmen Jos Buttler or Punjab-born Manan Vohra at the top.
Tom Curran
Another player we really need to watch out for is England’s, Tom Curran. He was earlier part of the Kolkata Knight Riders setup in 2018 where he played very few matches. As a bowler, he holds the reputation of being a phenomenal death over bowler. He was also part of the England World Cup squad where they emerged winners.
Tom the all-rounder was one of the high profile signings for Rajasthan Royals as he bagged a massive deal of US$140,000. The fast bowling all-rounder could pair up with Jofra Archer as the two opening seamers of the team along with Jaydev Unadkat.
Moreover, Tom has the reputation of being a pinch hitter as well so he can chip in some quick runs if needed.