5 players RR should target in the IPL 2021 auction

The Rajasthan Royals (RR) had their worst IPL season in 2020. For the first time in 13 years, the Jaipur-based franchise finished at the last position on the points table. They had kicked off their campaign with two outstanding performances against the Kings XI Punjab and the Chennai Super Kings. However, they lost their path after stepping out of Sharjah and missed out on a place in the top 4.

Captain Steve Smith made some surprising decisions in IPL 2020. He did not use regular opener Yashasvi Jaiswal much. At the same time, he promoted himself and all-rounder, Ben Stokes, to the opening position. Robin Uthappa, who has achieved the most success in his IPL career while opening the innings, batted in the middle order during the first half of the season.

Some extremely talented names like Manan Vohra, Akash Singh, and Mayank Markande did not get a single opportunity to showcase their talent in the United Arab Emirates. The team management will look to make a few changes to their squad before the next edition of the IPL.

Here are the five players that RR should aim to sign in the upcoming auction:

1. Hanuma Vihari 

Even though Hanuma Vihari is not the cleanest hitter of the ball, he can be a vital addition to the Rajasthan Royals middle order. There were a few occasions in IPL 2020 when the RR top order collapsed and the likes of Tom Curran and Jofra Archer had to take the team to a respectable score. In those situations, a player like Hanuma Vihari could have been handy.

He was a match-winner for the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the 2013 season. Although his strike rate is a bit low for the T20 format, he can play the anchor’s role if Steve Smith wishes to continue attacking the opposition bowlers in the next seasons. Perhaps, Vihari could bat at number 3 and stabilise the innings before the likes of Sanju Samson, Jos Buttler, and Rahul Tewatia would finish off the innings.

It is pertinent to note that Vihari can also bowl right-arm off-spin in the middle overs. He has an economy rate of 6.71 with the ball, and if he gets a proper role, the Indian batsman can emerge as a match-winner for the Rajasthan Royals.