IPL 2021: Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler to open for Rajasthan Royals

Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler are all set to open the batting for the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the 2021 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The same was, interestingly, revealed by Eoin Morgan, the captain of the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). The Royals finished at the bottom of the table in the previous edition, which took place in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The Royals, captained by Sanju Samson, will be playing their first game on April 12 against Punjab Kings (PBKS) at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Morgan stated that Buttler and Stokes have grown leaps and bounds while playing for England at the highest level.

Morgan lauds Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler

“The more opportunities we’ve (England) given to Jos (Buttler), the better he has got. Very similar instance to Ben (Stokes). The guys just keep getting better and better and better, so it’s our responsibility and the team’s responsibility to present opportunities to them in the biggest moments of the game,” Morgan was quoted as saying in Sky Cricket.

“Obviously, the two of them will be opening for Rajasthan (Royals) this year in the IPL so that’s going to be great to watch. But in a team where you have two superstars opening the batting, as an opposition, I’m thinking, ‘Well, better start well!” he stated.

Buttler started opening the batting for the Royals midway through the 2018 edition. From there on, he scored half-centuries at will and cemented his place at the top. In 2020, he also batted in the middle order after the Royals’ batters faltered a wee bit.

Stokes, on the other hand, opened the batting for the Royals last season and also notched a ton against Mumbai Indians (MI) at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. He has also given his team useful breakthroughs with the ball in hand in critical situations.

The Royals won the inaugural edition way back in 2008, but haven’t got their hands on the trophy ever since. To make amends, they released Steve Smith and named Samson as their skipper for the upcoming edition. It remains to be seen if they can turn their fortunes around.