Rajasthan Royals started their IPL journey in the best way possible. They were crowned Champions in 2008 and their journey has been a topsy-turvy since then. They have managed to reach the playoffs four times and were even banned from the league for two years. Rajasthan Royals have managed to retain the services of some of their main players for most number of times and have had some very good players in their team.
We are here with a series of IPL Dream Teams wherein we will be making All Time XIs of the current eight teams in IPL. During this venture, I am being assisted by Raunit Raj and Amit Vikram Singh who have immense knowledge in the field of cricket. We have gone through every player of each team and tried to pick the best of the lot after considering their statistics and performances for the team. We started with Mumbai Indians then had a look at Kings XI Punjab, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Royal Challengers Bangalore. Now we bring to you the All Time XI of Rajasthan Royals.
1. Ajinkya Rahane (2011-19)
Ajinkya Rahane doesn't look like a T20 Player but his record for Rajasthan is incredible. He has scored over 3000 runs for RR with a great average of 35. He even has 2 centuries to his name. He has even led the team well but loses his captaincy battle for this dream team to Shane Warne.
Innings: 99 Runs: 3098 Average: 35.6 S/R*: 122.3
*S/R - Strike Rate
2. Jos Buttler ✈️ (2018-19)
Buttler had a contest with Steve Smith and Brad Hodge for his spot. They all have played around 20 to 30 games but Buttler's record makes him find a place. He has scored at an average of 47 and a strike rate of 153. He even has more runs to his name than the Aussie duo.
Innings: 21 Runs: 859 Average: 47.72 S/R: 153.94
3. Rahul Dravid (2011-13)
Dravid couldn't make the cut in the RCB XI but is an obvious choice for this one. His strike rate is not the one which is accepted in T20 cricket but the stability and experience he provides to the team is incredible. He is even the fourth highest run getter for the franchise.
Innings: 51 Runs: 1324 Average: 27.02 S/R: 108.88
4. Sanju Samson (wk) (2013- )
Samson was 18 when he got selected by RR in the IPL auction. Samson showed some good batting skills and contributed for RR in every opportunity provided. Soon, Samson became important for Rajasthan and is one of the superstars for the same. Samson has been a player who has been able to adapt himself to different playing styles and won so many games. He will even be our wicketkeeper in this team.
Innings: 67 Runs: 1724 Average: 28.73 S/R: 131.1
5. Shane Watson ✈️ (2008-15)
Shane Watson was by far the best player of the tournament when RR won the title back in 2008. He had one of the best seasons with both bat and ball. He scored over 400 runs and took 17 wickets. Watson has finished games at so many occasions for RR and has an incredible strike rate of 140. He is the second highest run getter and has the highest number of wickets to his name for the franchise.
Innings: 81 Runs: 2474 S/R: 140.16 Wickets: 67
6. Yusuf Pathan (2008-10)
Yusuf Pathan will be our No. 6 in this team. He has a strike rate of 161 and his finishing skills are well known. He has the ability to hit big sixes and can even bowl a few overs in the middle. He makes the cut above Stuart Binny in this team.
Innings: 42 Runs: 1011 Average: 26.6 S/R: 161.24
7. James Faulkner ✈️ (2013-15)
Faulkner will be our second all rounder of the team. He is a very disciplined bowler and a great hitter of the ball. Faulkner has a bowling strike rate of 19 which is very impressive. Faulkner can act as a great finisher too and makes to this team above Kevon Cooper and Jofra Archer.
Matches: 48 Runs: 387 Wickets: 53
8. Shane Warne (c) (2008-11)
Shane Warne was a no brainer. He is one of the best spinners of all time. He was the captain of the team when they won the title in 2008. He is the third highest wicket taker of the franchise. Warne's experience along with his captaincy skills will help this team to move forward.
Matches: 56 Wickets: 58 E/R*: 7.24
*E/R - Economy Rate
9. Pravin Tambe (2013-15)
Tambe started his career a little late but his performance for Rajasthan is appreciable. His numbers are better than his counterparts with his economy being just below 7. He has taken wickets at regular intervals and finds a place above Shreyas Gopal.
Matches: 31 Wickets: 35 E/R: 6.97
10. Siddharth Trivedi (2008-13)
Trivedi is definitely not a very big name in the IPL but is an obvious choice for this team. He is the second highest wicket taker for the franchise and the highest by an Indian.
Matches: 76 Wickets: 65 E/R: 7.58
11. Munaf Patel (2008-10)
Patel had a tough fight with Dhawal Kulkarni but the World Cup winner had the last laugh. Munaf Patel has experience and is a very decent bowler. He has an economy rate of 7.5 and a bowling average of 24.
Matches: 31 Wickets: 35 E/R: 7.55
Do tell us if you have had any other player in mind who might have found a place in the XI. This is the fifth article of our IPL Dream Team Series. We have three more to go. Stay Tuned. Keep Reading Openions!
- Kshitij
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