Rajasthan Royals (RR) head coach Andrew McDonald heaped praise on Mahipal Lomror for his valiant effort with the bat against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in Abu Dhabi on Saturday (October 3).

Opting to bat first, RR lost their star-studded top 3, consisting of Steve Smith (5), Jos Buttler (22) and Sanju Samson (4), for just 31 runs.

See Also: Steve Smith calls for better performance from his top 3 after RR’s 8-wicket loss to RCB

However, Lomror revived Royals' innings with his 47 runs off 39 balls, which enabled the team to post a respectable total of 154/6 in 20 overs.

"We backed him in the middle order to the job against RCB's spin bowling. He did a fantastic job. It is always difficult to play in the first game of the tournament but he prepared well," McDonald said during the post-match press conference after RR’s 8-wicket loss to RCB.

England all-rounder Ben Stokes is set to join Rajasthan Royals and coach McDonald feels his inclusion will certainly bolster the playing XI.

"We have Rahul Tewatia and Jofra Archer has also given some option at death. So we feel the preparation was good but it's about settling for the best side," said the Royals coach.

"When it comes to the selection of team we will pick the best XI. We had some changes earlier in the tournament. Clearly, when Ben Stokes will arrive it will potentially force the change in the playing XI and it will also change the formation how we play," he added.

Royals will take on Mumbai Indians in their next match in Abu Dhabi on October 6.

(With ANI inputs)