Rahul Dravid is back in his coaching role. And once more, he has the duty of winning the prize! In the latest cycle, what’s new with the Rajasthan Royals?
The last time he played a similar position, he accomplished that with the Indian team, and the Rajasthan Royals aren’t asking for much more from their former captain as they try to win the championship they last achieved in 2008.
Vikram Rathour, a batting coach, is with Dravid in his most recent endeavor.
Even outside of the coaching staff, there is a fair amount of shuffle to the side for a squad that made use of all six of its retention options. The third-highest run scorer in their history, Jos Buttler, is out. The bowler Trent Boult and the spin twins Yuzvendra Chahal and Ravichandran Ashwin are also doing well. Even though senior, elite bowlers were cut from the team, the Royals wouldn’t worry about that area. Along with bringing back Jofra Archer, they went on a shopping spree for a variety of excellent Indian pace bowling alternatives in addition to covering those bases with younger, comparable replacements.
There are several combinations they can try in the bowling section to fit the necessary circumstances. But the batting still has the same issues. The most significant of those are the lack of reliable backups and dubious death-hitting choices. It will be intriguing to observe the extent to which they depend on Vaibhav Suryavanshi, their 13-year-old import.
Whole Squad
Nitish Rana, Riyan Parag, Shimron Hetmyer, Dhruv Jurel, Shubham Dubey, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Kunal Singh Rathore, Wanindu Hasaranga, Jofra Archer, Tushar Deshpande, Akash Madhwal, Sandeep Sharma, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Maheesh Theekshana, Ashok Sharma, Kumar Kartikeya, Kwena Maphaka, Yudhvir Singh, and Sanju Samson (c/wk)
Currently, the best XII
Dhruv Jurel, Shubham Dubey, Wanindu Hasaranga, Jofra Archer, Tushar Deshpande, Akash Madhwal/Sandeep Sharma, Fazalhaq Farooqi/Maheesh Theekshana, Sanju Samson (c/wk), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Nitish Rana, Riyan Parag, Shimron Hetmyer, and Jofra Archer
Concerns about availability and injury
Sanju Samson is said to have passed the fitness test for his batting after undergoing surgery for a fractured right index finger he suffered during the T20 series against England last month, but an NCA clearance is still pending.
Additionally, since September 2024, pacer Tushar Deshpande has been sidelined, missing the whole domestic season after undergoing ankle surgery last year.
The player who needs to prove something is…
Rana Nitish. The southpaw’s career hasn’t been as successful as he would have liked, despite his solid and steady IPL results since making his international debut. After leaving his native state association, he played fewer games for KKR during their championship run last season and was more likely to sit out than participate in the starting lineup. Rana has had a difficult season in domestic cricket across all forms, including a lackluster Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy campaign. He will have a lot to prove in order to be taken seriously again.
A player with the potential to make a breakthrough season
Jurel Dhruv. The potential of the wicketkeeper-bat has been demonstrated numerous times. However, there would be higher expectations from the Rajasthan Royals because of the difficult match scenarios he frequently encounters, which Riyan Parag was unable to master for several seasons. The team has faith in Jurel and paid him a staggering INR 14 crore, even if he doesn’t have the best T20 stats. The bright youngster still has a lot to prove.
Buildup and run-in of fixtures…
The Rajasthan Royals will have to travel a lot, but their games are evenly spread apart. They would only be present at one location for a maximum of two games, one in Guwahati and one in Jaipur. Their biggest vacation will take place from April 19 to 24 after their ninth league stage game.
This season’s home ground stat to keep an eye on
At Jaipur’s Sawai Mansingh Stadium, one of the Royals’ two home games this season, toss isn’t much of an issue. Teams batting first and second have won the same number of games in the past ten games. However, it might not be the greatest location for speed bowlers, who have suffered the lowest average and strike rate in Jaipur over the past two IPL seasons.
India
