IPL 2018: The English duo need to fire in unison if Rajasthan Royals wish to find success

Inaugural IPL winners Rajasthan Royals have not enjoyed their best start to the campaign since their return to the fray after a 2-year hiatus. They have failed to get going, garnering only 3 wins from the 7 games they have played thus far. The inability to convert the match in tight situations has cost them heavily this season. In their previous encounter against SRH, Rajasthan failed to get over the rope despite chasing a paltry target, succumbing to a disciplined bowling attack.

Echoing on the same lines, Jos Buttler, Rajasthan Royals player, says he and his English compatriot Ben Stokes should have taken extra-responsibility in the match against Sunrisers Hyderabad, which they lost by 11 runs. Much has hinged on Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler to carry Rajasthan Royals in the middle overs. But the English duo hasn’t fired in unison, causing Royals to falter and not finish on a high.

With the team currently at sixth position on the points table, there is still a decent chance to make it to the playoffs. And Buttler opined that it was a matter of individual responsibility that every player, including him and Stokes, need to realize.

According to Hindustan Times, the 27-year-old was quoted saying, “It just comes down to individuals. We haven’t quite performed in the middle as we would have liked. I and Ben Stokes really expected ourselves to come in and play that role. That was probably the biggest shame for us in the last game,”

He added, “I haven’t given an account of myself that I should have. And that’s disappointing. A lot of it comes down to individual accountability.”

Stokes yet to justify his lofty price tag

Apart from two matches, Stokes is yet to justify his Rs 12.5 crore price tag. One of the best all-rounders of our time, Stokes however never really had a great T20 career. He is yet to score a fifty in internationals and averages a measly 14.76. Still, a lot was expected from the dynamic all-rounder.

Stokes, the most expensive buy at the 2018 IPL auctions, has managed scores of 5, 16, 27, 14, 45, 40 and 0 till now.

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