How all 8 IPL teams will line up for their opening game

Rajasthan Royals

Steve Smith will lead the Rajasthan Royals

The Rajasthan Royals tasted success in the inaugural edition of the tournament but their performances dipped since then. The Royals retained Australian captain Steve Smith prior to the auction. An Australian helped them to the title in the first season and the fans will hope for the same result as the young side take the field against the Sunrisers Hyderabad in their first game.

Ajinkya Rahane will open the batting with Australian southpaw D'Arcy Short. The two batsmen will be responsible for providing an aggressive start for their team. Skipper Smith will bat at number three. Ben Stokes and Sanju Samson will man the middle order. Wicketkeeper-batsman Jos Buttler will adopt the finishing duties for his franchise.

The bowling department will be led by Jaydev Unadkat. Stuart Binny, Dhawal Kulkarni will act as back-ups whereas K Gowtham and Shreyas Gopal will be handy with their spin. Steve Smith has plenty of options in the bowling department with the likes of Stokes and Short capable of bowling the additional overs.

Playing XI: Ajinkya Rahane, D'Arcy Short, Steven Smith(c), Ben Stokes, Sanju Samson, Jos Buttler(wk), Stuart Binny, K Gowtham, Jaydev Unadkat, Dhawal Kulkarni, Shreyas Gopal