The existing eight franchises of the Indian Premier League have announced their final lists of retained players on November 30 ahead of the upcoming IPL 2022 mega auctions. The upcoming IPL 2022 Mega Auction is going to be very important for all the ten teams. It will be the final opportunity for the teams to build their squad from scratch. Each franchise will look forward to acquire players who can be their long term partners. There was a limit on the number of retentions for each team. And many teams have not even utilized their four retentions so that they can have a higher purse amount for the mega auction. Some teams will target young talent whereas some teams will look for a new captain. In this article we will talk about Rajasthan Royals and its approach towards the mega auction. 2022 Mega Auction: RR five target players.
The winners of the very first IPL edition back in 2008, the Rajasthan Royals (RR), have really struggled to make it count in the tournament ever since. 14 IPL seasons later, they are viewed as one of the most unsuccessful franchises in the history of the competition. The Royals often find themselves at the bottom of the points table, struggling to finish anywhere but last. Since their title win in 2008, the Rajasthan Royals have managed to qualify for the playoffs only three times, and have never managed to reach the finals. The mega auction is a golden opportunity to revamp and start fresh. The Royals retained their most promising player Sanju Samson (14 crores), one of their best performer Jos Buttler (10 crores) and prodigious talent Yashasvi Jaiswal (4 crores).
Let’s look at the potential 5 players that Rajasthan Royals might target in the upcoming IPL 2022 Mega auction.
Jofra Archer
Even though Rajasthan released Jofra Archer during the retention process, it certainly doesn’t rule out the probability of them going all-out for the star pacer. Archer has been an absolute match-winner, both with the bat and the ball. Jofra Archer missed both phases of IPL 2021 because of injury. The Rajasthan Royals struggled in the absence of the right-arm pacer. The England all-rounder was 2020’s one of the top performer. He picked up 20 wickets in 14 matches at an economy rate of 6.56 and a bowling strike rate of 16.7. His best bowling figures that season were 3/19.Going into the mega auction, RR would most likely give it their best shot in order to get back the all-rounder. He could be their one big purchase in the upcoming auction in January. He is the top candidate in the list of RR target players 2022.
Kyle Jamieson
Kyle Jamieson shot into the limelight after the Royal Challengers Bangalore got him for a massive INR 15 crore ahead of IPL 2021.Despite his hefty price tag, Jamieson didn’t get too many games with the challengers and spent a fair bit of time on the bench owing to average performances in the nine matches he played. Jamieson played nine matches in his debut IPL season and claimed as many wickets at 29.88 and an economy rate of 9.60. With the bat, he contributed 65 runs, not getting too many opportunities to perform. However, Jamieson’s rise has been absolutely phenomenal over the last year or so. He has now become an indispensable part of the New Zealand setup, and can be extremely devastating with the ball on his day. Given that Rajasthan Royals will undoubtedly be keen to get some fiery pacers in their unit who can also contribute with the bat, Kylie Jamieson may well be on other teams’ auction radar and Royals might target him as well.
Chetan Sakariya
Left-arm pacer Chetan Sakariya was among the few bright spots for the Rajasthan Royals in an otherwise forgettable IPL 2021 campaign. He was their breakout star of the season. His 2021 campaign began with a bang as he picked up three crucial wickets in his very first game against the Punjab Kings. The bowler proved to be a revelation for the Royals and his impressive bowling and fielding performances received appreciation from all corners.He played all 14 matches and claimed as many wickets at an economy rate of 8.19. Beyond the numbers, it was his attitude that stood out. Sakariya, who has already played for India, is someone who can be groomed for the future and a great investment. His talent keeps him in the list of RR target players 2022.
Shivam Dube
Rajasthan Royals have retained both their openers in Jos Buttler and Yashasvi Jaiswal. But they have serious issues in the middle-order, where they are heavily reliant on their captain Sanju Samson. The franchise will be keen to add some firepower in the batting. Batting all-rounder Shivam Dube has failed to live up to his potential in the IPL. As a result, he did not play too many matches for the Royals during IPL 2021. However, he did display glimpses of his capability during his whirlwind knock of 64, not out for Royals against the champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK). There is no doubt that Dube has the good capability with the bat. He can contribute with the ball as well. RR might just be tempted to try and get Dube back in team. Dube would be a decent purchase for the Royals. The all-rounder is a prospective name in the list of RR target players 2022 mega auction.
Chris Morris
Chris Morris, the most expensive player in the history of IPL, represented Rajasthan Royals in 2021. He was purchased for an immoderate price of INR 16.25 crores in the auction of the 14th IPL season. But his performance was very poor considering what the Royals paid. The Proteas all-rounder has been playing the IPL since 2013 and has played 81 matches. After being left out for the auction by Virat Kohli’s Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2020, he was signed by the Rajasthan Royals.
In 2021’s IPL, he played 11 matches and took 15 wickets but his economy of 9.17 was huge. He didn’t bat much except his 36* off 18 balls against Delhi Capitals. But the Royals might give him a chance at a lower price this year. He has the experience and 95 wickets in IPL career to fill the requirements of an all-rounder in the team. The all-rounder is a prospective name in the list of RR target players 2022 mega auction.
