IPL 2023 Auction: Four overseas players Rajasthan Royals should look to buy in auction

New Delhi, Dec 18: Indian Premier League (IPL) is one of the most lucrative premier domestic T20 tournaments in the world. Top T20 players from across the globe, eagerly wait to participate in the tournament and showcase their talent.

Rajasthan Royals - who were the runners-up in the previous IPL season - have released nine players from their existing squad. However, the champions of the inaugural season have kept the core unit of their team the same.

The Sanju Samson-led side has retained gun players like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shimron Hetmyer, Jos Buttler, Trent Boult, Yuzvendra Chahal, R Ashwin, etc.

The RR team management has, however, released several overseas players into the pool ahead of the IPL 2023 auction. Corbin Bosch, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Nathan Coulter-Nile, and Rassie van der Dussen have been released by the Jaipur-based franchise.

Rajasthan Royals IPL 2023 Plans

During the IPL 2023 Auction, the Royals would be looking to buy some good overseas players in order to strengthen their squad.

Players Retained by Rajasthan Royals

Sanju Samson (C), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shimron Hetmyer, Devdutt Padikkal, Jos Buttler, Dhruv Jurel, Riyan Parag, Prasidh Krishna, Trent Boult, Obed McCoy, Navdeep Saini, Kuldeep Sen, Kuldip Yadav, R Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal, KC Cariappa.

Players released by RR

Anunay Singh, Corbin Bosch, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Karun Nair, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Rassie van der Dussen, Shubham Garhwal, Tejas Baroka

RR Remaining Purse for IPL 2023 Auction: Rs 13.2 crore

RCB Remaining Slots: 9 players max, including 4 overseas players

Why Rajasthan Royals won't be able to go after Ben Stokes & Sam Curran in the Auction?

As Rajasthan Royals do not have the luxury of a big purse, they'll have to make some smart buys during the IPL Auction 2023 and get the services of players who can offer them long-term solutions.

They would definitely look to go after star England all-rounder Ben Stokes - who played for him in the past - in the auction. But due to the small purse, they won't be able to splurge more than Rs 6-7 crore on the New Zealand-born cricketer.

Stokes - who guided England to two successive Cricket World Cup wins with his patient knocks in the final - will be on the radar of teams with a higher purse at the auction table. Therefore, instead of breaking the bank on Stokes, Royals will be looking to go for other alternatives. The same would be the case with Sam Curran - who was the player of the match in the T20 WC final and also the player of the tournament.

Here are the four players Rajasthan Royals should target at the IPL 2023 Auction:

Harry Brook

The talented young England cricketer is already been dubbed as one of the future stars. Brook has had a phenomenal 2022 across formats. The Yorkshire batter, who also bowls medium pace, has been on a run-scoring spree in the Test series against Pakistan.

The youngster has already earned fame with his breezy cameos in the T20s and has been on the list of several T20 leagues happening across the globe. His T20 strike rate is an impressive 148.38.

Brook - who is only 23 - could be a perfect investment for Rajasthan Royals and can serve the franchise well in the long term. He can be a good Jos Buttler replacement, should the English captain opts out or takes a break.

Ideal Price: Rs 5-7 crore

Rilee Rossouw

The senior South Africa batter has been in a rich vein of form in the shorter versions of the game. The right-handed middle-order batter slammed a couple of T20I centuries in October. His first century came in Indore when he smashed a 48-ball 100* against India and three weeks later, he scored a 56-ball 109 against Bangladesh in Sydney in the T20 World Cup 2022.

Rossouw - who is one of the most popular T20 freelancers in the world - has been doing well in the T20 leagues. He could be a good top-order batter for the Royals in case Buttler and Shimron Hetmyer are unavailable.

Ideal Price: Rs 2-3 crore

Jason Holder

The West Indies all-rounder could be a valuable asset for the franchise. The right-arm medium pacer and the right-handed batter has done well for the teams he's been part of in the IPL.

In his previous stint with Lucknow Super Giants, Holder performed well but the team management didn't retain him for the next season.

The best thing about Holder is that he could be bought inside Rs 2 crore. His vast experience in international, as well as T20 leagues, will help the team in crunch situations.

Ideal Price: Rs 2-3 crore

Sikandar Raza

The Zimbabwe all-rounder has been one of the best T20 players in 2022. Sikandar Raza - who was one of the best all-rounders in the T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia - definitely deserves to find a taker in the upcoming IPL Auction 2023.

Rajasthan Royals should get the services of Raza in the auction for he possesses a good cricketing brain and brings stability to their middle order. His ability to play fast and spin bowlers at relative ease makes him an ideal candidate in the middle-order on the slow Jaipur tracks.

Raza can also be a good spin bowling option for the skipper should they plan to make their batting line-up heavy and/or decide to give Yuzvendra Chahal a break.

Ideal Price: Rs 1.50 to 2 crore