On Wednesday, March 27, the Indian Premier League 2025 (IPL) franchise Rajasthan Royals (RR) fell against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by eight wickets at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati, resulting in their second straight loss.
The Rajasthan batsmen were asked to bat first, but they were unable to assess the pitch’s slowness as the KKR spinners bowled with great control under ideal circumstances. The first champions ended their 20-over innings with a below-average score of 151/9, and the batters that started were unable to capitalise. Quinton de Kock’s thrilling 97 not out off 61 balls helped the Knight Riders win with eight wickets and 15 balls remaining.
In Wednesday’s match against Sunrisers Hyderabad, Jofra Archer, who had the lowest bowling numbers (0/76) the day before, conceded 33 runs in 2.3 overs. Wanindu Hasaranga, meanwhile, took out Ajinkya Rahane after making mistakes with his lines and lengths, giving up 34 runs in his three overs. The RR bowlers were unable to take advantage of the circumstances, and KKR won handily.
Rajasthan’s auction method is questioned by Robin Uthappa.
According to Robin Uthappa, Rajasthan lost a few tricks at last year’s mega-auction in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The Royals’ bowling lineup appears thin and is largely dependent on Sandeep Sharma and Archer, according to the former cricket player who is now an analyst. The England seamer has sustained several injuries recently and would require more time to perform at his peak, according to Uthappa.
“They’ll have to consider their approach to the auction and consider what they might have overlooked. But at the moment, they lack the luxury of hindsight. Their bowling attack, which mostly relies on Jofra Archer and Sandeep Sharma, appears to be a little weak. It’s crucial to keep in mind, though, that Jofra Archer is making a comeback to regular cricket after more than two and a half years away. His physique has suffered as a result of several injuries and other difficulties. That unavoidably has an impact on a player’s confidence and mental health. Speaking about JioStar, Uthappa stated, “There’s a lot to unpack here.”
The shot choice of Yashasvi Jaiswal was criticised.
In addition, Robin Uthappa believed that Yashasvi Jaiswal ought to have assessed the conditions more accurately and attempted to bat further into the innings before throwing away his wicket in the ninth over after reaching 29.
“He had the chance to assume leadership and lead his team through this. On a pitch that wasn’t the simplest to bat, he was a set batter. When I say that, I’m referring to the high-scoring fields of today, particularly now that teams have nine hitting choices thanks to the impact player rule, which permits them to field up to eight specialist batters and an all-rounder. Batters can attack freely with that depth, but it’s important to analyse the conditions and match situation. Sadly, Yashasvi didn’t accomplish that today,” the former cricket player for India said.
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