IPL Betting: Rajasthan Royals

IPL Betting / Andrew Hughes / 09 March 2010 / 1

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Warne has been an inspirational leader

"The Royals are packed with all-rounders but Shane Watson is the best of them. He added an extra dimension to the team in 2008, particularly with the bat and was sorely missed last year"

In the last of his IPL previews, Andrew Hughes looks at the winners of the inaugural edition of the competition, the Rajasthan Royals. Shane Warne's overachievers have been one of the surprises of the IPL so far. Can they regain their title in 2010?

Performance Last Time

IPL 2009 was ultimately a frustrating experience for Rajasthan. They were involved in some thrilling finishes and Warne's leadership was once again exemplary. But some ropey batting performances, combined with the loss of two of 2008's heroes, Shane Watson and Sohail Tanvir meant they struggled to make the same impact as they had the year before. Their team spirit and energy on the field was the best of all the teams in the competition, but they fell short of the semi-finals, finishing sixth.

Players In/Out

Rajasthan's dealings in the transfer market have been typically low key. Aussie veteran Damien Martyn and current one day squad member Adam Voges have been added, along with Englishman Michael Lumb. Out go Rob Quiney, Tyron Henderson and Mohammed Kaif. Indian youngster Ravindra Jadeja is also no longer a Rajasthan player, having been caught trying to negotiate a deal with another franchise and thus falling foul of IPL rules.

Player Availability

Shane Watson (after 31/03)
Adam Voges (after 13/03)

Captain

The inimitable Shane Warne

Key Player

The Royals are packed with all-rounders but Shane Watson is the best of them. He added an extra dimension to the team in 2008, particularly with the bat and was sorely missed last year.

Strengths

Without a doubt, Shane Warne's leadership is a major asset. He has been able to get the very best out of one of the least talented squads in the competition and his energy and enthusiasm appear to be infectious, judging by the intense performances of the Royals in the field. Warne also has plenty of bowling options in Shaun Tait, Munaf Patel, Morne Morkel and a host of all-rounders.

Weaknesses

Although the batting has been strengthened, it is still deficient compared to other teams in the tournaments and last year, Rajasthan found themselves regularly in trouble early on in their innings. They need to make better starts if they are to consistently trouble other teams.

Prospects

The underlying structure is in place for a repeat of 2008. In the field, with the ball and in their lower order batting, Rajasthan are excellent. Providing that a combination of Smith, Watson and Martyn can give their batting enough impetus early on, they should go a long way. Odds of [11.0] are way too high and surely represent excellent value for a team that never gives up.

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raghu | 10 March 2010

There is also a team called royal challengers who incidentally were the finalists last year.. u may want to consider putting a betting preview on them as well..