A depleted looking Rajasthan Royals will have a task on their hands to stop the formidable Chennai Super Kings in their Indian Premier League opener on a Sharjah track that’s expected to favour the batsmen.
Already without Ben Stokes who is set to be out for an unspecified time as he is with his ailing father, the Royals were handed a boost when captain Steve Smith was declared fit for their opening clash.
“Fantastic news that Steve is available,” RR head coach Andrew McDonald had said on Monday, much to the relief of Royals fans.
“It’s fantastic especially on the back of some setbacks back in the UK. It’s obviously great to have your skipper available for the first game.”
However, Jos Buttler, their impact player in the top-order will be missing the first game as he arrived separately with his family and needs to undergo mandatory 36-hour quarantine in…