'Crisis' is a word the Rajasthan Royals management must now be immune to. A return to the IPL after a two-year suspension could not have had a more stressful beginning. Steven Smith's involvement in the ball-tampering fiasco and his subsequent non-participation this season left them scurrying for a new captain.

Fortunately, the man who steps in - Ajinkya Rahane - has been part of the set-up since 2011 and played under Smith during a fairly successful 2017 season in which Rising Pune Supergiant finished runners-up. Having a number of players who were part of that campaign - including two of the season's costliest buys in Jaydev Unadkat and Ben Stokes - means there could be some sort of continuity.

In Heinrich Klaasen, the South African wicketkeeper, Royals have acquired a multi-skilled batsman who showed glimpses of his destructive ability in the home series against India in January.

Having spent 40 percent of their purse on Stokes, Jofra Archer, the Sussex allrounder, and Unadkat, the team was forced to go Moneyball, in line with their reputation over the years, in building the rest of the squad. Having doled out big cash, they will hope their big acquisitions don't give them more selection headaches.

Stokes, already in the middle of court proceedings for affray, has complained of a back niggle that has prevented him from bowling full-tilt during England's recently-concluded tour of New Zealand. He has admitted to being "frustrated" by the problem that first surfaced during the ODI series last month, but is confident of being able to bowl off a short run-up.

On the face of it, bowling four overs on any given day may not be too much of an issue, but the IPL involves hectic travelling in the peak of summer, which could be a challenge in conjunction with the short recovery time between matches. Archer too is on the comeback trail after missing the Pakistan Super League with a side strain. While there is no imminent threat of his missing the tournament, there have already been calls to manage his workload to prevent further injuries.

Apart from their triumph in the inaugural 2008 season, Royals have underwhelmed and have been a side that has often fallen by the wayside after impressive starts - most ingloriously in 2014 when they conceded 190 in just 14.4 overs to bow out of contention.

Ongoing administrative tussles between the BCCI and the Rajasthan Cricket Association over the years have meant the franchise hasn't quite managed to establish a bastion in Jaipur, of the kind Super Kings and Knight Riders enjoy in Chennai and Kolkata. This year, however, seven full home games at the Sawai Man Singh Stadium in Jaipur should help rekindle the team's connect with its home fans.