Best finish: Champion (2008)
Last Season: Second
After struggling to make it to the playoffs for four seasons, Rajasthan Royals, led by Sanju Samson, stormed into the final of the IPL last year before going down to Gujarat Titans.
Having clinched the title in the inaugural edition in 2008, it took Royals 14 years to make another final. The Men in Pink would be hoping to take positives from last year’s dominant performance.
With the IPL set to return to home-and-away format this season, RR will play five home games at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur, and a couple of them at the Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati. With two ‘homes’, it would be a challenge for Royals to adjust to the conditions in a short span of time, and the team will once again pin its hopes on the ‘core’ — Sanju, Jos Buttler, R. Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal.
Strengths: Royals appears to be a balanced unit, and arguably, it has one of the best bowling with Trent Boult spearheading the pace bowling along with Jason Holder. The spin department has seasoned campaigners Chahal and Ashwin, who played a key role in guiding Royals to the final last year. Ashwin and Chahal form a lethal combination and the presence of Australian Adam Zampa, who claimed four wickets in the final ODI against India to help the Aussies win the series recently, will be a huge boost.
In the absence of Prasidh Krishna, Royals are expected to formally rope in Sandeep Sharma and the seasoned domestic campaigner could bolster the pace department.
Weaknesses: Royals have a steady top-order with Sanju, Buttler and Yashasvi Jaiswal. But in the last edition, the middle-order comprising Devdutt Padikkal, Shimron Hetmyer and Riyan Parag were not consistent and often faltered in tricky situations, and that’s one of the biggest concerns for the team. Royals have shown faith in Riyan over the last few years despite hot and cold performances, and it’s time for the Guwahati all-rounder to step up.
Sanju Samson(captain): A young leader, Sanju has stamped his class for Royals, guiding the team to its first-ever final since 2008. Though the title eluded him, the seasoned stumper-batter proved that he has the tenacity and temperament to guide the team in difficult times.
In the 17 matches that he featured in last year, Sanju scored 458 at an average of 28.63 and returning to action after an injury lay-off, the Royals captain will be hoping to make some noise, yet again.
Best overseas player -Jos Buttler: In 2022, Buttler was the highest run-scorer in the tournament with 863 in 17 innings at an average of 57.53, and his aggressive batting was one of the major reasons behind the team’s success. This time, too, the England captain will have to step up and ensure a solid start for the team. His partnerships with Jaiswal will be crucial and as the tournament progresses, Royals will be hoping for Buttler to shoulder more responsibility and rise to the difficult situations.
Best Indian player - Yuzvendra Chahal: Chahal earned the purple cap last year after claiming 27 wickets. Coming into Rajasthan Royals after parting ways with his old franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore, Chahal’s middle-over breakthroughs were pivotal for RR. In the 17 matches, he maintained an economy of 7.75 and delivered in crunch times. This time, too, expectations will be high.
Best uncapped player -Kuldeep Sen: The fast bowler from Madhya Pradesh had a memorable outing for Royals in 2022, with eight wickets from seven matches. With a slingshot for an arm, Kuldeep consistently clocked 140kmph and rattled the opposition batters whenever he was handed the ball. With more experience and maturity, the focus will again be on him.
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