IPL 2022 | New energy, new synergy, same mission: Royals chant 'One for Warnie'!!

Ever since winning the inaugural season of the Indian Premier League, the Rajasthan Royals have never lived up to their true potential. They have always sailed under the radar and hasn't been able to reproduce the magic from the first edition. Since their comeback from the two-year ban, the Royals have assembled a good squad that could easily contend for the title, but they failed to even qualify for the knockout stages of the cash-rich league.

In the upcoming edition of the IPL, the Rajasthan-based franchise will look to surprise many and clinch their second-ever title. After a horrendous business on the first day of the TATA IPL Auction 2022, the management came in all guns blazing on the second day and assembled a decent squad with a mix of young and experienced players that can help the side in the quest of the trophy that has been evading them since the second season.

Strongest Playing XI

Yashasvi Jaiswal, Devdutt Padikkal, Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson (wk/c), Shimron Hetmyer, James Neesham, Ravichandran Ashwin, Trent Boult, Navdeep Saini, Prasidh Krishna, Yuzvendra Chahal

Flaws

The lack of a complete all-rounder who has been tried and tested on the Indian subcontinent could be one of the biggest worries for the Rajasthan Royals. While the franchise has the likes of Jimmy Neesham and Rassie van der Dussen, none of the two has the experience to fill in the void left by the English superstar Ben Stokes.

While the Royals have managed to assemble a decent squad, the team might be a bit worried about the depth in their batting order. Although Jimmy Neesham is most likely the last batter who can muscle a few out of the park, the team lacks players who can pull them out of a deadlock.

X-Factor

Shimron Hetmyer is the biggest X-factor for the Rajasthan based franchise. The southpaw has been in superb form in the Indian Premier League for the past few seasons and was a vital cog for the Delhi Capitals in the previous edition of the tournament. The player can bat at an accelerated rate when needed, which will be one of his biggest responsibilities this season.

Analysis

The team has some glaring flaws in their squad, making it hard to judge how the team will perform this season. On the other hand, the team has some quality players in their squad who will look to help their side win the prestigious title. However, as of now, it wouldn't be surprising if the team fails to qualify for the knockouts this season.