Let’s be real—when a team like Rajasthan Royals bows out of the playoff race with only three wins from eleven games, you know something deeper is broken. This isn’t just about one bad match or one misfiring player. This is the kind of season that exposes cracks, from the boardroom to the boundary rope, and even a platform like Malbet analyzing their struggles couldn’t sugarcoat the harsh reality.
And if you’ve been watching RR this year, you probably asked yourself at some point: Wait, where’s the balance? Who’s anchoring this ship? Good questions. Because when a team loses by 100 runs on home turf—like they did against Mumbai Indians in Jaipur—it’s more than just a bad day at the office. It’s a symptom of something far more structural.
What Happened to the Royals’ Core?
Now, let’s start with the basics: retention. RR walked into the 2025 season with a whopping ₹79 crore already spent—mostly on a handful of Indian players and one overseas name in Shimron Hetmyer.
That left only ₹41 crore for the auction. Not a lot, especially if you want to rebuild around world-class bowlers or dependable allrounders.
Sanju Samson, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Hetmyer, and Sandeep Sharma were the ones retained. You read that right—no Jos Buttler, no Trent Boult, no Ashwin, no Chahal. Not even Avesh Khan.
That’s like renovating your house but deciding you don’t need a roof. Or doors.
All Indian Batting? Bold, Maybe Too Bold
Here’s the thing: talent matters, but experience is gold. When you roll the dice on an all-Indian batting core led by Samson and Jaiswal—with Hetmyer as the only senior overseas batter—you’re placing a heavy bet on youth.
Aakash Chopra summed it up well on ESPNcricinfo’s Time Out: “Even in the Indian T20 team, you still need a Suryakumar Yadav to hold it all together.” Without someone like Buttler—who offered not just runs but calm under pressure—the Royals seemed to unravel anytime the going got tough.
Sure, youngsters like Vaibhav Suryavanshi show flashes of brilliance. But T20s are cruel. When the margin for error is a single over, relying solely on promise without poise is risky business.
The ₹25 Crore Question: Jurel and Hetmyer
One of the more eyebrow-raising decisions? Retaining Dhruv Jurel for ₹14 crore and Hetmyer for ₹11 crore. That’s ₹25 crore gone—arguably for two players who may not have fetched those amounts in the open auction.
Chopra was blunt about it: “That money could’ve gone into building a bowling core. You’re talking about freeing up 8–10 crore easily, and that could’ve brought in one or two top-tier bowlers.”
It’s not about the players being “bad.” Jurel and Hetmyer have talent. But in a tournament like the IPL, it’s about value per rupee. Could that money have brought in a Chahal or a solid Indian spinner? Very likely.
The Bowling Blues
Let’s be honest—RR’s bowling this season felt patchy at best. They splurged on Jofra Archer (who’s still recovering form), Wanindu Hasaranga, and Maheesh Theekshana. But none of them lit up the season.
Meanwhile, solid Indian picks like Tushar Deshpande (₹6.5 crore) barely played. Abhinav Mukund didn’t hold back either—he questioned the investment in Nitish Rana and Suryavanshi, arguing the funds could’ve gone to reliable bowlers instead.
Here’s a flashback: last time RR had Chahal, Ashwin, Boult, Avesh, and Sandeep Sharma. That’s a full five-man attack—each one dependable. This year? Outside of Sandeep, the cupboard felt eerily bare.
No Allrounder, No Cushion
You know what makes T20s manageable? Flexibility. And that’s exactly what a proper allrounder gives you. But even with the Impact Player rule, RR often found themselves stretched—short of runs or short of overs.
Riyan Parag bowling a few overs? Fine. But as your sixth option? That’s scraping the barrel. Chopra pointed out the obvious hole: “They didn’t have an allrounder, and they didn’t fix that at the auction.”
A Strategy That Never Found Its Footing
Let’s connect the dots. Rajasthan Royals entered IPL 2025 with a gamble-heavy, youth-centric approach, stripped of bowling experience, and lacking a middle-order anchor. They placed their chips on talent, hoping it would mature under pressure.
But when the big games rolled around, the pressure didn’t forge diamonds—it just exposed gaps.
You could see it in the 100-run drubbing against Mumbai. In the quiet middle overs. In the bowling collapse. In the lack of Plan B when Plan A fell apart in a heap.
So… What Now?
It’s not all doom and gloom. The Royals still have a solid Indian core—Jaiswal, Samson, and Parag have promise. But moving forward, there needs to be a mix of youth and grit, flair and stability.
Some things they’ll need to rethink before 2026:
- Better Retention Strategy: Look for balance, not just big names.
- Invest in Bowlers: At least two Indian bowlers with IPL consistency.
- Don’t Skimp on Allrounders: They’re not just luxury items—they’re the glue.
- Bring Back Senior Voices: A team without leaders is just a group of players.
To read more blog: Mike Hesson Emerges as Frontrunner for Pakistan Cricket Team Head Coach Role
Final Whistle: A Wake-Up Call for Jaipur’s Franchise
Cricket’s a funny game—short memories, long seasons. One year, you’re the title favorite. Next year, you’re out before May. For Rajasthan Royals, IPL 2025 will sting for a while, but sometimes failure is just the brutal feedback loop success needs.
They’ve got the fans, they’ve got the passion, and hey—they’ve even got the pink jersey. What they need now is a plan. A proper one.
