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Rajasthan Royals. (Photo Source: Twitter)

Even since their winning campaign in 2008, Rajasthan Royals have been trying hard to lift another Indian Premier Leah trophy. However, due to numerous hiccups, the Royals have always fallen short of being crowned as the champions. The closest they managed to come was in 2022, during which they finished second.

Their captain Sanju Samson has been a great leader for them, but it is the scarcity of resources that has been haunting them. Now, with another season coming up, it is time for the management to put on their thinking caps. This time around, it is time to release the underperforming players and pick up the deserving ones.

Even though they have almost all the bases covered, there is still room for improvement. It is now time for the Royals to pick up the lesser-known players who are waiting to showcase their talent on the big stage.

Here are the probable players Rajasthan Royals might release in the upcoming IPL auction:

 

3. Devdutt Padikkal

Devdutt Padikkal. (Photo Source: Twitter)

The Karnataka-based southpaw has been associated with IPL since 2020. During his first tenure with Royal Challengers Bangalore, he had a great season with 473 runs under his name. A healthy average of 31.53 shows that he was comfortable with the management, but the story was not the same for Devdutt with his second franchise.

Later on, he joined Rajasthan Royals but things haven’t been the same for Devdutt. In the last two seasons, he has managed to score just three fifties and he played just 11 games in the last season. This depicts that the management is trying to settle the top order for the team.

It looks like Devdutt needs to look for another franchise that will give him more chances. It is clear that if given more chances, he will perform more consistently. But, talking about being a part of Rajasthan, it seems like his time with the franchise is almost over.

2. Sandeep Sharma

Sandeep Sharma. (Photo Source: Twitter)

Sandeep Sharma has been in the domestic cricket circuit for over a decade. The medium pacer is an economical fast bowler who is well known for his variations. The pacer is an arsenal that the captain can use in any phase of the game.

Last year, Sharma managed to stop MS Dhoni from finishing the game and was critically celebrated for his comeback in the IPL circuit. However, in most of the remaining games, things didn’t turn out well for him. In most of the matches, he went for runs and his wickets-to-matches ratio fell below one. Maybe, it was the management and captaincy that affected his performance as he didn’t get enough opportunities to attack the batting side.

With 124 wickets in 116 games, Sharma has a career economy rate of 7.86. With a plethora of talent, he can ace under another captain. Sharma needs another franchise to get his touch back. It will be interesting to see who bids for this domestic veteran in the upcoming auctions.

 1.

Joe Root

Joe Root. (Photo Source: Twitter/RajasthanRoyals)

The legendary England batter Joe Root came into the IPL circuit last year with the Royals picking him up. Root is an underrated T20 batsman with a knack for playing cheeky shots under pressure. However, the Royals should focus more on their all-rounders rather than their batsmen because they already have a decent top order.

Root needs another franchise that will give him a decent amount of opportunities to shine. With 32 T20Is and a highest score of 90, Root has the ability to play the role of an anchor, and the rest of the batting lineup can play around him. Adding on, he can convert starts into big scorers. Therefore, he is a priceless asset for any team when it comes to facing the storm on any given day.

Apart from that, he has over 60 Test wickets and 40 List-A wickets to his name. This depicts that Root can chip in with two or three overs in every game. Root can provide the cushion for the captain to rotate the bowling attack and he is a terrific fielder as well. However, he has been underutilized by Rajasthan last year. It seems like they might release him ahead of the IPL season and it will be beneficial for the former English skipper as well.