Following a strong start to the season, winning eight out of their first nine games, Rajasthan Royals (RR) seemed poised for a high placement in the rankings. However, four consecutive losses and one match being called off resulted in them settling for third place. Despite this setback, RR prevailed over Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Eliminator, but unfortunately faced defeat against Sunrisers Hyderabad in Qualifier 2.
RR made some changes to their bowling lineup during the mega auction, choosing not to retain or repurchase players such as Trent Boult, Yuzvendra Chahal, and R Ashwin. In fact, they focused on acquiring new bowlers instead – spending a total of INR 28.65 crores on Jofra Archer, Tushar Deshpande, Wanindu Hasaranga, and Maheesh Theekshana. Interestingly, they did not purchase any overseas batters and only retained Shimron Hetmyer in that position. He is undoubtedly a key player for the team but if he encounters issues with form or fitness, RR does have a limited number of backup options available.
It’s not often that a team maintains an all-Indian top five throughout the season. In the history of the IPL, this has only occurred in 37 games: MI accomplished it ten times last year but ended up at the bottom of the standings, while KKR had seven instances in 2015 and finished fifth. The remaining 20 occurrences were sporadic, not part of their original strategy. Therefore, if RR opts for Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson, Nitish Rana, Riyan Parag and Dhruv Jurel as their top five – as it seems they might – they will be attempting something that hasn’t led teams to the playoffs in the past.
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In addition, the team acquired 13-year-old batsman Vaibhav Suryavanshi during the auction, making him the youngest player to secure an IPL contract. He debuted for Bihar in domestic cricket in 2023-24 across all formats. As a whole, the roster appears to lack depth and this season may serve as a challenge for their domestic bench.
The RR coaching staff has seen some changes, with the addition of a new team. Their head coach is former India captain and coach Rahul Dravid, and Vikram Rathour serves as their batting coach. Another notable addition to their team is former India legspinner Sairaj Bahutule, who will serve as the spin-bowling coach.
Possibly the top twelve.
1 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 2 Sanju Samson as captain and wicket-keeper, 3 Nitish Rana, 4 Riyan Parag, 5 Dhruv Jurel, 6 Shimron Hetmyer*, 7 Wanindu Hasaranga*, 8 Shubham Dubey or Akash Madhwal, 9 Jofra Archer*, 10 Maheesh Theekshana or Fazalhaq Farooqi*, 11 Sandeep Sharma and Tushar Deshpande at number 12.
After a nearly five-year absence, Jofra Archer makes his way back to RR. He previously spent three successful seasons with the team from 2018 to 2020. His return to the IPL comes after a full season without any injuries in 2024, having overcome chronic elbow and back problems. Since his comeback in May, Archer has played 19 T20Is and taken 23 wickets with an impressive average of 24.26. However, given his past struggles, it is important for RR to carefully manage his workload. The team also has two other overseas pace options in Fazalhaq Farooqi and Kwena Maphaka, both of whom are left-armers.
After a three-month absence due to a shoulder injury, Riyan Parag made his return to the field as he captained Assam against Saurashtra in the Ranji Trophy at the end of January. It had taken Parag six seasons to prove himself and regain Rajasthan Royals’ trust, but in 2024, he proved his worth by scoring 573 runs with an impressive average of 52.09 and a strike rate of 149.21. His outstanding performance surpassed those of Sanju Samson, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Jos Buttler, earning him opportunities to debut in T20Is and ODIs. With Buttler no longer on the team, RR will heavily rely on Parag’s abilities.
Important figures
Samson’s IPL debut comes after a disappointing performance in the T20I series against England, where he only managed to score 51 runs in five matches. However, it should not be forgotten that he had previously recorded three centuries in just five innings. Unfortunately, he was unable to maintain his streak and was dismissed for a duck in the remaining two matches.
In the recent ILT20 in the UAE, Desert Vipers’ Hasaranga took a total of 12 wickets, making him their second highest wicket-taker. He also had the most impressive economy rate among all bowlers who bowled at least 100 balls in the tournament, with Sunil Narine coming in second with a rate of 6.17.
Who’s in or uncertain?
Although Samson underwent finger surgery last month, he is currently waiting for approval from the BCCI medical team before returning to action. It has not been confirmed whether this will affect his ability to play in RR’s first match on March 23. The injury occurred while batting in the fifth T20I against England, where he was hit by a ball from his RR teammate Archer, in early February.
