Players to watch out for

Ajinkya Rahane:

A veteran of 111 IPL matches, his duty is to lay the platform with solid knocks. Captaincy could do wonders to Rahane, who is struggling to find a permanent place in India’s ODI and T20I teams.

Ben Stokes

There was some concern earlier on his IPL availability after he got involved in a bar brawl. But Rajasthan Royals kept in mind the kind of impact he can have in tricky situations and shelled out ~12.5 crore.

Jaydev Unadkat:

The most expensive Indian player this auction (~11.5 crore), Unadkat will look to deceive the batsmen with his cutters. Last season, Unadkat took 24 wickets at an average of 13 for RPS.

:A new entrant, Buttler is a regular in England’s ODI and T20I teams and relies on power hitting. With 527 runs in 24 IPL games at a strike-rate of 145.98, he can be a safe bet – both as an opener and finisher

Jos Buttler Sanju Samson:

It’s a sort of homecoming for the Kerala player who is likely to shoulder RR’s wicket-keeping duties. He was Delhi Daredevils’ top scorer last season with 386 runs including a century and two fifties.

D’Arcy Short:

Playing for Hobart Hurricanes, the 27-year-old made a big impression in Big Bash League (BBL). He is the first player in the BBL history to reach the 500-run mark in a single season.