Predicting Rajasthan Royals’ 3 first-choice overseas players for IPL 2022

Inaugural Indian Premier League (IPL) champions Rajasthan Royals (RR) purchased 21 players at the mega auction in Bengaluru last month. Indian fast bowler Prasidh Krishna was their most expensive purchase at ₹10 crore.

RR also picked up hard-hitting West Indian batter Shimron Hetmyer for ₹8.5 crore, New Zealand pacer Trent Boult for ₹8 crore and young Indian batter Devdutt Padikkal for ₹7.75 crore. The franchise strengthened their spin department, purchasing leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal for ₹6.5 crore and experienced off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin for ₹5 crore.

Ahead of the mega auction, RR had retained three players - captain Sanju Samson (₹14 crore), England’s dashing wicketkeeper-batter Jos Buttler (₹10 crore) and young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal (₹4 crore).

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IPL 2022: RR’s key overseas players

Each franchise can field a maximum of four overseas cricketers. We take a look at three names who could be first-choice players in RR’s playing XI during the upcoming edition.

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#1 Jos Buttler

Jos Buttler during the T20 World Cup. Pic: Getty Images

Jos Buttler has been an inseparable part of the Rajasthan franchise over the last few seasons, even as RR themselves have struggled for consistency. He has been a rock at the top of the order, coming up with some spectacular knocks. The right-hander should continue opening the innings for RR this season as well.

Buttler had a breakthrough year in 2018, when he smashed 548 runs in 13 games at a strike rate of 155.24. During the season, he equaled Virender Sehwag’s record of scoring five consecutive fifties in the IPL and the Englishman hasn’t looked back since.

Last season, he notched up his maiden hundred in the T20 league, cracking 124 in 64 balls, with the aid of 11 fours and eight sixes, in a match against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in Delhi. The 31-year-old is among the most destructive strikers of the cricket ball and proved his worth in the T20 World Cup as well with some stunning batting efforts.

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#2 Trent Boult

New Zealand pacer Trent Boult. Pic: Getty Images

New Zealand left-arm seamer Trent Boult formed a brilliant combination with Jasprit Bumrah for Mumbai Indians (MI) before being released ahead of the IPL 2022 season. Boult has some exceptional skills with the ball, which is why it wasn’t surprising to see him being picked up for an impressive price of ₹8 crore.

The experienced 32-year-old Kiwi has a near-unplayable yorker, if he gets it right. He and Bumrah have combined to turn around a couple of matches for MI out of nowhere in recent seasons. Boult has the pace to trouble batters outside the off-stump. Remember his brute to dismiss Marcus Stoinis in the IPL 2020 final? The pacer is also good at varying his pace and keeping the batters guessing.

Having made his IPL debut in 2015, Boult has featured in 62 matches, claiming 76 wickets at an average of 26.09. His economy rate of 8.39 may be slightly on the higher side. But he is a wicket-taking bowler without a doubt, and RR will be banking on him to deliver the goods, given his expertise and talent.

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#3 Shimron Hetmyer

West Indies batter Shimron Hetmyer. Pic: Getty Images

West Indies’ aggressive batter Shimron Hetmyer could be the X factor in RR’s batting line-up in the IPL 2022 season. There has never been any doubt about Hetmyer’s exceptional talent. However, his consistency has not quite been there, either for the Windies or for the franchises he has played for.

During the 2021 edition, though, he gave a few glimpses of his capabilities while turning out for Delhi Capitals (DC). He clobbered 242 runs at a strike rate of 168.05, coming in towards the end of the innings and playing some brutal cameos. Hetmyer nearly pulled off a miraculous win for DC against RCB, clubbing an unbeaten 53 off 25 with the aid of four sixes. It was a knock in vain though as Delhi fell short by just one run.

The 25-year-old gave further proof that he can deliver under pressure, guiding DC to a tense three-wicket win over Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in a league clash. Hetmyer remained unbeaten on 28 off 18 as DC chased down a target of 137 with two balls in hand. RR will be looking forward to similar performances from Hetmyer in the upcoming edition of the IPL.