IPL 2020: 3 players Rajasthan Royals might let go after finishing last in the IPL

IPL 2020: 3 players Rajasthan Royals might let go after finishing last in the IPL

Rajasthan Royals

Rajasthan Royals RR

Rajasthan Royals (RR) had arguably the strangest Indian Premier League 2020 campaign among all teams. They started off in a supremely strong manner notching up back-to-back wins in Sharjah and making huge totals look surprisingly easy. However, once they moved out of Sharjah, the wheels started coming off on their campaign as they suffered four back-to-back losses.

With the arrival of Ben Stokes and a rejig in the batting order, RR looked to have gotten their tournament back on track. Until the last game they were very much alive and kicking but a crushing loss against Kolkata Knight Riders meant they finished last for the first time in their history.

The constant changes to the batting order and team combination did not help RR throughout the season at all. Despite possessing a strong core of players, their team always seemed to lack balance. On their day, they looked like a team impossible to beat but on other days they were mediocre.

With the exception of a few players like Jofra Archer and Rahul Tewatia, none of the players could perform consistently. Their bowling attack proved to be way too expensive which cost them dearly in a lot of close encounters. With the auction for the 2021 IPL looming, RR will thus look to release a few players to free up funds to buy the players they want. Here are three players they might release:

Jaydev Unadkat

Jaydev Unadkat

Jaydev Unadkat was among the biggest buys in the 2018 IPL. He was bought by RR for a whopping price of 11.5 crores. Following a disappointing IPL, he was released and then rebought for 8.4 crores. And again, he was rebought for 3 crores in 2020. He was bought on the back of terrific performances in the domestic circuit and for the now defunct Rising Pune Supergiant side in the IPL.

However, in each season right from the time he was bought by RR, Unadkat has disappointed. His cutters and back-of-the-hand slower balls have helped pick up wickets at times, but his economy has been woefully above 9.5 in each season. In this year’s tournament, Unadkat played a part only in 7 games and wasn’t up to the mark in any of them. A bashing he received against AB de Villiers and RCB led to him being dropped for subsequent games. It is highly likely that Unadkat will once again be released into the auction pool for the fourth season in a row.

Robin Uthappa

Robin-uthappa-IPL-Rajasthan-Royals

Robin Uthappa, fondly called “The Walking Assassin” is one of the greatest Indian performers in the history of the IPL. After being released by Kolkata Knight Riders, the wicketkeeper-batsman was bought for a price of 3 crores in the auction by RR. In the initial few matches, Uthappa was utilized in the middle-order where he faltered big time.

A move to the top of the order helped as Uthappa gave RR fast starts in the Powerplay towards the latter half of the tournament. But he couldn’t go on to score a single big knock. He ended up showing promise and getting out without going on to make a huge score. The former Indian international’s best days seem to be long gone. It is hence likely that RR might release him into the auction pool come 2021.

Varun Aaron

Varun Aaron

Pacer Varun Aaron is known for his express pace and tight lines and lengths. However, unlike in the domestic circuit, his bowling has largely been ineffective. Bought by RR for 2.4 crores, Aaron has managed to pick just 4 wickets in the 8 matches he has represented RR. His economy has been too high for a reliable bowling option as well.

In this year’s IPL, RR struggled with choosing the 3rd fast bowling option after Jofra Archer and Kartik Tyagi were set as the first two. They went for Jaydev Unadkat in the beginning, then switched to Ankit Rajpoot in the middle before settling with Varun Aaron towards the end. None of the three bowlers came good.

Aaron went wicketless this year and ended up with an economy of 11.75. RR would definitely want to acquire the services of a reliable fast bowler and for that purpose might release Aaron into the auction pool.