IPL 2020: 3 Players who can lead Rajasthan Royals (RR) in absence of Steve Smith

The England-Australia white-ball series will lead to overseas players missing the early fixtures of their respective franchises. One world-class name among those players is Australian stalwart Steve Smith, who will miss the first week of the IPL 2020 extravaganza in the UAE.

In Smith’s absence, pacer Jaydev Unadkat is apparently going to lead Rajasthan Royals. However, the franchise could search for other options too, considering their squad depth. The Rajasthan franchise could’ve resorted to other players like Ben Stokes or Jos Buttler but they’re also likely to miss the initial phase of this year’s IPL.

The England-Australia limited-overs series has affected Rajasthan Royals the most, with many exceptional players including their skipper Steve Smith missing from their setup. In Smith’s absence, there are three players who can lead RR and bolster them to a good start on the UAE soil.

Here are the three players:

1. Jaydev Unadkat

28-year-old Unadkat, who is associated with the franchise since 2018, had an impressive outing in the previous Ranji Trophy. He led the Saurashtra side to the victory and also finished as highest wicket-taker with 67 wickets.

Unadkat has never led an IPL side but considering his rich form in the domestic circuit, Unadkat can certainly emerge as a good skipper in Smith’s absence. In 89 First-class matches, Unadkat has picked up 327 wickets at an impressive economy of 2.94. He also has 16 four-wicket hauls and 20 five-wicket hauls under his belt.

Unadkat is the second-most expensive players behind Ben Stokes in the Rajasthan Royals squad. The Porbandar-born pacer was snapped up for a hefty sum of Rs 11.5 crore in the IPL 2018 auction. He also has the experience of playing 73 games and scalping 77 wickets in the IPL.