IPL 2021: 5 players RR can target to fill their overseas slots in the auction

Rajasthan Royals (RR) have had a couple of dismal campaigns having finished 7th in 2019 and 8th in 2020. With a combined 11 wins across 2 seasons, the Royals have struggled for consistency and have failed to strike the right balance. They have lacked stability in the team and have continuously changed their playing XI. Rajasthan have released Steve Smith and appointed Sanju Samson as their captain, and he will now be their 3rd captain in just 3 seasons. 

RR have retained 16 players and can buy a maximum of 9 players at the auction. 3 of the 9 slots are for overseas players, and with a budget of more than 37 crores, they are definitely going to be in the mix for some of the best players in the auction. 

Ben Stokes, Jofra Archer, Jos Buttler, David Miller, and Andrew Tye form their overseas contingent at present. Buying a quality batsman, a fast bowler to partner Archer, and a backup for Stokes would be high on their agenda

Here’s a look at 5 overseas players they could target:

1. James Neesham

The New Zealander is probably one of the best possible backups that RR could get for Ben Stokes and both of them have quite a few similarities. Both of them are aggressive left-handers and have the ability to change the course of the game within a few balls, and can also pick up vital wickets with the ball. 

Neesham was in pretty good form during the Super Smash, picking up 8 wickets and scoring 65 runs in 5 games. He has scored 1903 runs in 136 T20s at a strike rate of 137.1 and averages 25.71. With the ball in hand, he has 126 wickets to his name at an impressive strike rate of 16.8. 

English players have often been unavailable for the last few games of the season, and there is a chance that Stokes could leave before the end of the season. Going into the season without a 2nd all-rounder might disrupt their balance later on, and thus buying someone like Neesham would be important for them. 

2. Riley Meredith

The young Australian bowler has had a couple of highly impressive campaigns in the Big Bash, and his sheer pace has amazed a lot of people. He also earned a spot in Australia’s squad for their T20I tour against New Zealand, and he could potentially be handed a debut. 

Meredith has picked up 43 wickets in 34 games at a strike rate of 17.5, and his economy rate of 8.08 is excellent for someone who operates during the difficult overs. The Hobart Hurricanes star got 16 wickets in 13 games this BBL and conceded at less than 8. 

Jofra Archer received minimal support from the other bowlers, and he was the only one who picked up more than 10 wickets for RR last season. Their supporting pacers other than Kartik Tyagi have been quite disappointing, and they need to find a better partner for him. A bowling partnership of Meredith and Archer bowling at 145+ kph would be a nightmare for opposition batsmen. The Aussie quick’s arrival would ease the burden on the Englishman.

3. Ben McDermott

The 2nd Hobart Hurricanes player on the list, Ben McDermott will surely attract some bids on the 18th of February. Like Meredith, even McDermott has earned a callup to the Australian squad and he will be in line to make his first international appearance since 2019. He is one of the best power hitters in his country and his ability to muscle the ball to the boundary is ideal for this format.

He has 1660 runs in 73 games at a strike rate of 130.7, and his average of 31.32 reflects the element of consistency he has added to his game in recent times. The 26-year-old was one of the best performers in the BBL this season and scored 402 runs in 12 games at a strike rate of nearly 140. 

Having released Steve Smith, the Royals are going to be in the market for an overseas batsman who can bat at either 3 or 4. McDermott perfectly fits the bill as he generally bats in those positions. If RR buy him and include him in the XI, a potential top 4 of Buttler, Stokes, Samson, and McDermott looks frighteningly good and could tear apart any bowling attack on their day. 

4. Shakib Al Hasan

Shakib Al Hasan will undoubtedly be one of the most in-demand players at the auction and RR will be one of the favourites to buy him given the fact that they have the 2nd biggest purse. Shakib predominantly bats in the top 4 and can bowl during any stage of the game, which makes him a very valuable player. 

The Bangladeshi legend has 5080 runs and 360 wickets to his name in 317 games in the shortest format. He scored 113 runs and picked up 6 wickets in the 3 match ODI series against West Indies. 

He would be an excellent replacement for Steve Smith and the 33-year-old would also strengthen the bowling side of things, and RR can solve 2 issues with the same player. He would also allow RR to replace Stokes with a batsman instead of another all-rounder in case he is injured or unavailable due to any reason.

5. Jhye Richardson

Jhye Richardson could turn out to be one of the biggest buys at the auction as Starc’s absence from the auction means that he is one of the best options available. He has a pretty good pace and his ability to stem the flow of runs and pick up wickets even during the most difficult overs is what makes him so good. Richardson is also a part of Australia’s T20I squad. 

Jhye has picked up 78 wickets in 61 games at a strike rate of 17.5 and conceded at just 7.81. The Perth Scorchers bowler has picked up 27 wickets in 16 games this BBL at a phenomenal strike rate of 12.7, and his great form has been a major driving force behind his team’s run to the final. 

Richardson would provide Archer with excellent support and RR should go all out for him as he would give their bowling attack a much-needed boost. Their bowling has let them down on several occasions, and buying someone as good as the Australian to compliment Archer will be their No. 1 priority.