The Rajasthan Royals were standing atop a summit team can only dream of. 9 matches in, they had lost just the solitary match, and with what history tells us, they were virtually already qualified with 16 points. But the higher you are, the harder you fall. 4 matches later, they have added nothing more to that win tally, all the matches going out of their favour. And from looking like they’d cruise to the qualifier 1 in first place, to now finding themselves in a very real possibility of crashing into the eliminator instead. One might think hey, they’re still qualifying- but from the position they were in, they should be horrified if they don’t make the qualifier. A downfall that feels shocking, and surprising, but not a feeling RR and its fans are alien to.
Not Again, Rajasthan
This isn’t the first time RR are finding themselves struggling in the latter half of the tournament. They dominated the first half in 2023 but tripped so hard that they fell out of the playoffs. The only thing worse than the wooden spoon has to be looking formidable and a shoo-in for the playoffs only for it to all go wrong, as the franchise watches the solid foundation it built crumble helplessly. A wave of painful nostalgia hits the fans, management and players, and the team brimming with immense talent, skill and experience find themselves unable to string a team performance to win them games, something they were doing effortlessly in the first half.
Teamwork does make the dream work
The irony is that the best team they can learn from is themselves- someone always stepped up for the Royals, but more importantly, it never felt like a one-man show for the Royals. Sure, some players stood out in games, acting as the crucial driving force of the victory. But firstly, it was always accompanied by other players stepping up too, and one single person couldn’t have done it. Secondly, the people who kept standing up for their team kept changing, in one match it would be Sanju Samson, in one match it would be Sandeep Sharma, in one match it would be Jos Buttler. They were all match-winners, eager to prove themselves and doing so in great fashion. And in this was RR’s greatest strength, their collective unit.
This is also why they have been losing games. People have still been stepping up in recent games, be it Riyan Parag continuously reviving a broken top order or Samson’s rampage in the DC chase, but a team can’t win on the shoulders of one man, at least not the Rajasthan Royals, who pride themselves on their teamwork.
All is not lost
RR may be feeling a familiar heat, but the foundation of those first 9 matches has got them to an unwavering position in the playoffs. Even though they are losing, it is a matter of one game for them to turn their capable ship around. They will miss the dependable Jos Buttler, but Sanju and Parag have stepped up like never before, and if they manage to get into qualifier 1, this might be an even better opportunity than they had in 2022, as their team looks more balanced. Everyone knows the talent and abilities this team has, with its bases covered with stars who are match-winners in their own accord. All they must do is get back on the winning horse and touch their potential again. The road won’t be easy, with their last league match being against the table-toppers KKR. But if anyone can beat them and gear up to face them again in Q1, it is the Rajasthan Royals.
