Rajasthan Royals’ journey in the much-talked-about Indian Premier League has been bitter-sweet. An underestimated team that ended up winning the inaugural edition of the cash-rich league had left everyone in awe.

The team continued to do wonders at the IPL before getting banned for two years over spot-fixing. And now when they are making their comeback after two years, their star batsman Steve Smith has been banned from playing.

In the absence of Steve Smith, ‘dependable’ Ajinkya Rahane had been given the opportunity to lead the squad in the ongoing season.

South Africa’s wicket-keeper batsman Heinrich Klassen had replaced Smith from RR squad and it is highly unlikely that he will get the chance to play in first few matches.

Under the captaincy of Ajinkya Rahane, Rajasthan Royals will begin their campaign against David Warner less SunRisers Hyderabad on Monday.

Ahead of the much-awaited clash, here is The Statesman’s take on the Rajasthan Royals squad:

Batting:

Steve Smith’s absence can prove to be a blessing for Australian cricketer Darcy Short (966 runs in 25 T20 matches), who can open RR innings along with skipper Ajinkya Rahane. Rahul Tripathi (14 matches, 267 runs in IPL) can come to bat at number three.

Kerala’s wicket-keeper batsman Sanju Samson (IPL 2017: 386 runs at a strike rate of 141.39) will likely to bat at number four and explosive batsman Ben Stokes ( IPl 2017: 316 runs in 12 matches at a strike rate close to 143, including a century) and Jos Buttler (10 matches, 272 runs) will give depth to the strong batting line-up of Rajasthan Royals.

However, the batting line-up of RR is expected to revolve around cool, calm and composed Ajinkya Rahane, who can take responsibility of the team when wickets will start falling. Rahane is a consistent run-scorer and he can be the match-winner for RR.

All-rounders

England’s Ben Stokes was the massive grab for the franchise in the IPL players’ auction and he is expected to lead this section of the team.

Stuart Binny (766 runs and 21 wickets in IPL) and Karnataka’s all-rounder Gowtham Krishnappa (310 runs and 20 wickets in 27 T20 Matches) can also play some crucial innings for the team. The duo can give support to the lower-order of the team.

Uncapped Indian player Ankit Sharma can be the trump card of the team under the right guidance as he has enormous experience in the first-class.

Bowling:

The inexperienced bowling line-ups of Rajasthan Royals can be a headache for skipper Ajinkya Rahane. RR would aim to bank on young Indian bowler Jaydev Unadkat as they have spent heavily on him in the player’s auction.

Other than Unadkat, RR have two more Indian speedsters in the form of Dhawal Kulkarni and Anureet Singh. However, there is a big question mark on their consistency. The duo has been in IPL for a long time yet they failed in establishing themselves as match-winners.

In the pace department, RR have Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer, so it is highly unlikely that they will play an overseas seamer.

Players who can be a threat to other teams: Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler, Jaydev Unadkat and Darcy Short.

Rajasthan Royals schedule and list of matches with venues for IPL 2018:

Monday 9th April 2018

Match 4, 20:00 IST (14:30 GMT), Rajiv Gandhi Intl. Cricket Stadium, Hyderabad- Sunrisers Hyderabad v Rajasthan Royals

Wednesday 11th April 2018

Match 6, 20:00 IST (14:30 GMT), Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur- Rajasthan Royals v Delhi Daredevils

Sunday 15th April 2018

Match 11, 16:00 IST (10:30 GMT), M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru- Royal Challengers Bangalore v Rajasthan Royals

Wednesday 18th April 2018

Match 15, 20:00 IST (14:30 GMT), Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur- Rajasthan Royals v Kolkata Knight Riders

Friday 20th April 2018

Match 17, 20:00 IST (14:30 GMT), M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai- Chennai Super Kings v Rajasthan Royals

Sunday 22nd April 2018

Match 21, 20:00 IST (14:30 GMT), Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur- Rajasthan Royals v Mumbai Indians

Sunday 29th April 2018

Match 28, 16:00 IST (10:30 GMT), Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur- Rajasthan Royals v Sunrisers Hyderabad

Wednesday 2nd May 2018

Match 32, 20:00 IST (14:30 GMT), Feroz Shah Kotla Ground, Delhi- Delhi Daredevils v Rajasthan Royals

Sunday 6th May 2018

Match 38, 20:00 IST (14:30 GMT), IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali- Kings XI Punjab v Rajasthan Royals

Tuesday 8th May 2018

Match 40, 20:00 IST (14:30 GMT), Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur- Rajasthan Royals v Kings XI Punjab

Friday 11th May 2018

Match 43, 20:00 IST (14:30 GMT), Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur- Rajasthan Royals v Chennai Super Kings

Sunday 13th May 2018

Match 47, 20:00 IST (14:30 GMT), Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai- Mumbai Indians v Rajasthan Royals

Tuesday 15th May 2018

Match 49, 20:00 IST (14:30 GMT), Eden Gardens, Kolkata- Kolkata Knight Riders v Rajasthan Royals

Saturday 19th May 2018

Match 53, 16:00 IST (10:30 GMT), Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur- Rajasthan Royals v Royal Challengers Bangalore

Rajasthan Royals squad – Heinrich Klassen, Benjamin Stokes, Jaydev Unadkat, Sanju Samson, Jofra Archer, Krishnappa Gowtham, Jos Buttler, Ajinkya Rahane, Darcy Short, Rahul Tripathi, Dhawal Kulkarni, Zahir Khan Pakteen, Ben Laughlin, Stuart Binny, Dushmantha Chameera, Anureet Singh, Aryaman Vikram Birla, Midhun S, Shreyas Gopal, Prashant Chopra, Jatin Saxena, Ankit Sharma, Mahipal Lomror.