Rajasthan Royals predicted XI vs SunRisers Hyderabad: Sanju Samson is all set to play as an impact player.
Rajasthan Royals enjoyed a really successful cycle in the previous three years of the IPL, but didn’t have too much to show for it ultimately. Outside of reaching the final in 2022, the team seemed to lose gas at just the wrong time, momentum stalling at crucial parts of the tournament.
Rajasthan Royals captain Sanju Samson during a practice session.(PTI)
This year, their campaign starts with a visit to Sunrisers Hyderabad, not an easy task for any team. For the Royals, this is a team that on paper looks to be equally capable with the bat in hand despite losing Jos Buttler. However, it is more of a concern when it comes to the bowling. They have had to start from scratch, and it means they will need their players to be at their best.
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For their starting XI in their first match, captain Sanju Samson has already announced that he will be a batting-only player as he recovers from an injury. Nevertheless, he will likely be prepared to open the batting alongside the uber-talented Yashasvi Jaiswal. This forms a formidable opening partnership, and it will need to be to go toe-to-toe with Abhishek and Head.
In the 3-4 slot, Riyan Parag and Nitish Rana will likely be used as matchup options depending on left-hand right-hand. After Parag’s breakout season last year, he will be a player to keep an eye on. Rana was a budget buy for a solid top order option, and also provides a bowling option similar to Parag, which does beef up that department as well.
RR were criticised for overspending on Dhruv Jurel, but the wicket-keeper batter will don the gloves and occupy a middle-order slot. He will need to show that he can consistently hit for power and step up his 138 strike rate from last year. RR do have a reliable finisher option in Shimron Hetmyer, the big West Indian who has performed consistently in the IPLover the last few years. Hetmyer is equally capable of batting up the order in case he needs to build an innings.
RR’s tail could be slightly long, with Wanindu Hasarange expected to bat at 7. Nevertheless, the Sri Lankan spinner will be joined by his compatriot Maheesh Theekshana, who will carry the brunt of the spin attack. After them, the pace attack is expected to comprise of a returning Jofra Archer, as well as Tushar Deshpande and Sandeep Sharma. The impact rule will likely see another Indian seamer come in, with Akash Madhwal the option, but an additional spinner is also an option with Kumar Kartikeya.
The bowling does look a little light, with RR looking at batting as their strength but not blessed with depth. This first game could tell us a lot about RR, and how their season can pan out.
