At the 2022 mega auction, the Rajasthan Royals (RR) assembled a well-rounded roster with a good mix of youth and experience. They enjoyed the benefits and advanced to the finals of the cash-rich competition. Unfortunately, RR fell to Gujarat Titans in the final and had to settle with second place.
With a goal of winning their second IPL title in the 16th season, the Rajasthan franchise parted ways with nine cricketers and replaced them with other top-tier players. RR are a well-oiled machine filled with T20 circuit veterans. However, not everyone will get the opportunity to demonstrate their abilities in the next season.
Here are three RR players that might be benched for the whole 2023 season.
Number 1. Adam Zampa
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Adam Zampa has been a notable character in the game’s shortest version. The ace spinner has played 229 T20 games and taken 264 wickets at an economy rate of 7.28. He has also been outstanding in international cricket, capturing 82 wickets in 72 T20Is with an economy rate of 6.93.
Zampa is an astute consumer who employs subtle variations in speed and diversity. In addition, he may bowl at any point in the game. At the IPL 2023 auction, the Rajasthan Royals recruited the Australian spinner to improve their spin department.
However, considering the team’s makeup, Zampa is unlikely to make the starting lineup. As their four foreign options, RR will very definitely begin with Jos Buttler, Shimron Hetmyer, Jason Holder, and Trent Boult.
With Ashwin and Chahal already in the spin department, the think tank may be hesitant to change the balance of the team by selecting the Australian leg-spinner in the XI.
Number 2. Joe Root
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Joe Root has been a run-banker for England in both Tests and One-Day Internationals. His happiest hunting ground has been the longest format of the game, where he has scored 10629 runs in 127 matches at an average of 49.43. When it comes to the 50-over format, the 32-year-old has 6207 runs in 158 games at an average of 50.05.
Root can anchor the innings superbly while also putting bowling attacks under pressure with his marauding bat. As a result, the Rajasthan Royals chose to invest on the experienced hitter and signed him at the IPL 2023 auction.
Rajasthan has a top-order lockout, with designated opener Devdutt Paddikal forced to bat in the middle order. Furthermore, Sanju Samson and company are very set to start with gun foreign batsmen Buttler and Hetmyer, who were great with the bat last season. As a result, Root may not make his IPL debut in the 2019 season.
Number 3. KC Cariappa
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KC Cariappa has a track record of success on the Indian domestic circuit. With his variations, the 28-year-old has baffled hitters and is renowned for producing timely breakthroughs. He has appeared in 38 T20 matches and taken 37 wickets at an economy rate of 6.75.
Cariappa, on the other hand, has struggled in the Indian Premier League, taking just eight scalps in 11 games with an economy of 9.67. At the 2022 super auction, the Rajasthan Royals recruited the Karnataka spinner to offer diversity to their spin-bowling department. However, he was unable to get into the starting XI.
The ace spinner was retained by the team’s management for the next season. However, with the availability of Ravichandran Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal, and Murugan Ashwin in the spin department, Cariappa is expected to remain on the bench for the whole of the 16th IPL season.
