What's your opinion on Rajasthan Royals top order?
Unlike the other teams, they have a great start to the Tournament winning 2 of 2 games at Sharjah.
There are teams such as KXIP, RR who didn't find their perfect XI or managing the XI. RR is a team with a lot of options in every department that were dominated by foreign players and struggling to find perfect position for players. RR is the only team in IPL 2020 who tried 5 different opening combinations.
The five different combinations are
Yasaswi Jaiswal - Jos Buttler
Yasaswi Jaiswal - Steve Smith
Jos Buttler - Steve Smith
Ben Stokes - Jos Buttler
Ben Stokes - Robin Uthappa
After managing a lot of combinations, Rajasthan Royals finally managed to score their first 50 opening partnership. Let's look at the runs they scored in every match.
1) RRvCSK
Openers: Yasaswi Jaiswal, Steve Smith
Scored 11 runs in 14 balls. Not the ideal one, there was pressure on debutant Jaiswal and failed to connect the short ball bowled by Chahar.
Steve Smith and Sanju Samson were heroes of the match scored 69 and 74. They scored 216-7 and successfully CSK at Sharjah.
Result: Won by 16 runs
2) RRvKXIP
Openers: Jos Buttler, Steve Smith
Scored 19 runs in 14 balls. It was 1st match of Buttler this season. Timed well but caught by Sarfraz Khan at square leg.
Steve Smith and Sanju Samson took responsibility by scoring 50 and 85 but gone in middle-overs. No one could forget the innings played by Tewatia. From 9(17 ) to 53(31). He hit 5 sixes in the over of Cotrell chasing 224 in 19.3 overs. This was the highest target chased ever in IPL.
Result: Won by 4 wickets
After this match, RR lost 4 consecutive matches.
3) RRvKKR
Openers: Jos Buttler, Steve Smith
Scored 15 runs in 12 balls. They failed to chase 175.
Result: lost by 37 runs
4) RRvRCB
Openers: Jos Buttler, Steve Smith
Scored 27 runs in 16 balls. RR scored 154 and failed to defend the target
Result: lost by 8 wickets
5) RRvMI
Openers: Jos Buttler, Yasaswi Jaiswal
Scored 0 runs in 2 balls. RR decided to bring back Jaiswal. But he failed to get over the line and nicked the outswinger into De Cock's hand.
But Buttler went on scored 70(44) but failed to chase the target of 193 and all out for 136.
Result: lost by 57 runs
6) RRvDC
Openers: Jos Buttler, Yasaswi Jaiswal
Scored 15 runs in 15 balls. They kept Jaiswal to improve his confidence. He scored 34(36) and RR again failed to chase 185.
Result: lost by 46 runs
7) RRvMI
Openers: Jos Buttler, Ben Stokes
Scored 7 runs in 8 balls. This is Ben Stokes's first match of the season and it's one of the greatest wins by RR. Foreign Players and top order failed but the Indian Youngsters Tewatia and Parag partnership of 85 for 6th wicket registered a win for RR.
Result: won by 5 wickets
8) RRvMI
Openers: Jos Buttler, Ben Stokes
Scored 37 runs in 18 balls. RR registered their highest opening partnership after a quickfire cameo from Jos Buttler. He goes for 16 runs in Nortje over where he bowled four 150+ KPH balls in the over. On the 5th ball, he bowled 156.2 KPH and Buttler scooped it for four. It was the fastest ball in the History of the Tournament.
Nortje knocked over Buttler in the final ball where he clocked 155.1 KPH
Result: lost by 13 runs
9) RRvRCB
Openers: Ben Stokes, Robin Uthappa
Scored 50 runs in 33 balls. First 50 opening partnership for RR this Tournament. RR sent Uthappa as an opener, where the position he played most of his career. So far, this is the best innings by Uthappa this season.
RR scored 177 runs and it would be an easy win for RR. But there was ABD, literally no one could stop this man. ABD scored 55*(22) and RCB won by 7 wickets
Result: lost by 7 wickets
Conclusion:
Hope, RR finds their opening players for the rest of the season. But to win matches, another factor to consider is experienced players. They should stand in crease whatever the situation it is. The match winners Sanju Samson, Steve Smith, and Jos Buttler. They performed well in the first 2 matches, from then they are leaving a lot of pressure on middle-order players.
It's also surprising Ben Stokes as an opener. What's you prefer?
Ben Stokes as a finisher or as an opener.
Stats in IPL 2020:
Sanju Samson: 226 Runs, 26.22 Avg, 160.54 SR
Steve Smith: 220 Runs, 24.44 Avg, 141.02 SR
Jos Buttler: 192 Runs, 24.00 Avg, 143.28 SR(8 Matches)
Samson scored 159 runs from the first 2 matches and 67 runs in the next 7 matches. Literally, he throwing his wicket every match. He needs to step up and become a match-winner for their team.
Before seeing stats of Steve and Jos, there is Tewatia who scored more runs than both.
Rahul Tewatia: 222 Runs, 44.40 Avg, 145.09 SR
The stats speak the rest
RR has taken only 39 wickets in the Tournament only beside KKR who has taken 34 wickets. The Bowling side completely depends on Jofra Archer, who is the leading wicket-taker for RR and bowled most dot balls in the Tournament
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interesting analysis
ReplyDeleteThank You Brother
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