Rajasthan Royals SWOT analysis: Will they be able to go one step further from their last campaign? || Probable playing XI for RR

The Rajasthan Royals (RR) squad has been one of the most exciting teams to watch in the Indian Premier League (IPL). The team has had its fair share of ups and downs over the years, but the 2023 season presents a fresh opportunity for the team to shine.

In the IPL 2022 season, Rajasthan finished second. It became immediately clear that they had developed some really effective performances. The outcomes were an unintended consequence of the Royals having a seasoned team at their disposal. On paper, they were among the strongest teams for the 2022 season in both batting and bowling.

In this blog post, we will take a closer look at the team's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) for the upcoming IPL 2023.

Strengths

• One of the biggest strengths of the Rajasthan Royals squad is their strong batting line-up. The team has some big names in world cricket, including Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson, and Shimron Hetmyer. These batsmen have proven themselves in the IPL and have the ability to score big runs and win matches.

• Jos Buttler was magnificent at the top of the order with the bat, smashing 863 runs in 17 games with four hundreds. Shimron Hetmyer, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and skipper Sanju Samson all made significant contributions as well. Yuzvendra Chahal, the leg-spinner, earned the Purple Cap for his bowling efforts, taking 27 wickets in 17 games at a 15.11 strike rate in the previous edition of the marque event. 

• In addition, they have also bought Adam Zampa in the auction which will further bolstered their spin bowling department.

• Another strength of the Rajasthan Royals squad is their depth in the all-rounders department. The team has some excellent all-rounders like Jason Holder, Ravichandran Ashwin and Riyan Parag, who can contribute with both bat and ball. This depth in the all-rounders department gives the team a lot of options and flexibility in their playing XI.

Weaknesses

• Another weakness of the Rajasthan Royals squad is their inconsistent performances in the past. The team has struggled to maintain consistency throughout the tournament and has often fallen short in the crucial stages of the tournament. The team will need to ensure that they maintain their focus and intensity throughout the tournament to be successful.

• They were blowing hot and cold with their performances where they won their first two games in the IPL 2022 season, but their next three games were all losses. They utterly lost one of the games against Gujarat Titans (GT), losing by a score of 37 runs. Despite bouncing back with three straight victories, they once more dropped two straight games to the Mumbai Indians (MI) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). In both games, their batting performance was awful.

Opportunities

• Once again it will be an opportunity for someone like Sanju Samson to cement his place in the white ball cricket with his performances. With this year being the world cup year and Rishabh Pant still recovering from injury, Samson could eye a spot in the Indian Team with the gloves on.

• Another opportunity for the Rajasthan Royals squad is the chance to capitalize on the form of their key players. Jos Buttler, Yashasvi Jaiswal with the bat and the duo of Ashwin and Adam Zampa with the ball have been in excellent form recently, and if they continue to perform at their best, they could lead the team to success in IPL 2023.

• The adaptable West Indies cricketer produced respectable bowling performances for the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in IPL 2022 and earlier for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). But in 2023, he will be playing for a different squad. The 31-year-old, who is well-known for his versatility, would like to have a significant effect with RR.

• Moreover, Adam Zampa, a leg-spinner who was crucial to Australia's victory in the T20 World Cup in 2021, has yet to consistently contribute to the IPL.

Threats

• One of the biggest threats to the Rajasthan Royals squad in IPL 2023 is the competition from other teams. The IPL is known for its unpredictability, and any team can beat any other team on a given day. The Rajasthan Royals squad will need to be at their best to compete against some of the other strong teams in the league.

• Rajasthan's chances are likely to suffer once more from the lack of superior backup alternatives in pace attack. The team would suffer a great loss without Prasidh Krishna because the Indian bowler claimed 19 wickets in the last campaign. Sandeep Sharma, Prasidh's replacement, hasn't played any T20 cricket this year, while Obed McCoy is returning from a recent injury. The fact that Jason Holder is most likely to bowl as the fifth option will undoubtedly put extra pressure on Boult and Sen.

Probable Playing XI for Rajasthan Royals:

Jos Butler, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson (C & WK), Devdutt Padikkal, Riyan Parag, Shimron Hetmyer, Jason Holder, R Ashwin, Trent Boult, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Sen/Navdeep Saini

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