IPL 2018: 5 Rajasthan Royals players who should be axed ahead of next season

The Rajasthan Royals have made a very impressive comeback to the IPL roster this season. Having served their two year suspension, the Jaipur franchise made a comeback in the 2018 edition of the tournament along with the Chennai Super Kings. At the end of the league stages, both the returning franchises have made it to the playoffs of the season. While the Super Kings had a cruising run in the season, the times have not been very fluent for the Royals.

The Rajasthan Royals have have had a thrilling ride in the season ever since they lost their first match of the season against the Sunrisers Hyderabad by 9 wickets. They won a few games, and then horribly lost their plot. Some brilliant performances from the individuals like K Gowtham, Jofra Archer, and Jos Buttler in the second half of the season helped the side make it to the playoffs.

The names of the superstars of the team are many. At the same time, there are a few players in the Rajasthan Royals camp who have miserably failed to have an impact in the tournament. While some of them failed repeatedly, there were others who did not get enough chances. With this backdrop, it would be sensible for them to drop a few players in the next edition of the tournament.

Here are the 5 players from Rajasthan Royals who should be axed before next season:

1. D Arcy Short

Australian cricketer D Arcy Short arrived in to the Indian Premier League riding on some serious reputation. Back in Australia, he was compared to the hard hitting veteran opener David Warner. Short was the leading run getter of the BBL 2017-18 season and was expected to call the shots in the IPL 2018 as well. However, the opener failed to leave an impact in the league stages.

He could only muster 115 runs in the 7 matches that he played in the season with a top score off 44. He averaged just 16.42 with the bat. His struggle against the spinners and his lack of adaptability on the Indian tracks was very well exploited by the other teams. He is certainly in line to be axed from the side for the next edition.

2. Mahipal Lomror

Young Rajasthan all-rounder Mahipal Lomror did not get a lot of opportunities to play in the league stages. But the opportunity arrived, he failed to take it with both hands. A couple of years ago, Lomror was a big name in the Indian cricket circuit owing to his successful run in ICC U19 World Cup for India.

In the IPL, he failed to translate the same success. He played two matches and scored 11 and 9* respectively. Also, he failed to pick up any wickets with the ball. With the Rajasthan Royals boasting of quality spinners like Ish Sodhi, Shreyas Gopal, and K Gowtham, it is very much possible that Lomror could miss out on his place in the squad next year.

3. Aryaman Birla

The name of Aryaman Birla had made some serious headlines after the IPL auctions this year. It was surprising to see a player who has played just one First Class game being selected in the IPL. Aryaman Birla, the scion of the Birla empire in the world of business, is a batsman who plays First Class cricket for Madhya Pradesh. Birla has a very interesting cricketing story that started from Mumbai and ended in MP.

Well, the 20 year old did manage to make the cut in to the Rajasthan Royals squad this season but did not get a single game in the league stages. Considering the packed house that the Royals have in the their batting arsenal at the moment, it is likely that Birla could be axed, and axed for his good in the next season so that he can ply his trade somewhere else.

4. Dushmantha Chameera

Sri Lankan speedster Dushmantha Chameera is one of the few Sri Lankan players on the IPL roster this season. Chameera was ruled out of the first four weeks of the season owing to an injury concern. Unfortunately for him, when he regained fitness, the Royals had already unearthed another match winning pacer in Jofra Archer. With Archer bowling in tandem with the other pacers like Jaydev Unadkat, Ben Stokes, Dhawal Kulkarni, and Anureet Singh, the need to field another speedster was never really felt by the Rajasthan management.

Also, when they did need a replacement, they had Ben Laughlin as a back up in the side. The scenario is expected to remain the same next season as well with a plethora of fast bowling options in the RR dugout. Hence, if the management decide to axe any player, Dushmantha Chameera would probably be the first to face the heat.

5. Stuart Binny

The last name in the list is very much likely to surprise a lot of people. Stuart Binny has been a key player for the Rajasthan Royals over the years. He has changed franchises and is back with the Royals this season. Binny was a part of the playing eleven for the majority of games in the second half of the league stages. But the way Binny was underused in the season, it looks like a certain proposition to see him getting dropped from the squad.

In fact, if that happens, it would be better for Binny as he might find a team that would use him in a better way. In the ongoing edition, Binny has neither got his due chances with the bat, nor has he been tested with the ball. In the handful of opportunities that he has had with the bat, he has failed to make an impact.

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