They started as underdogs in the inaugural edition of the tournament and eventually emerged champions. Since then, Rajasthan Royals' IPL journey has been a roller-coaster one. Led by the charismatic Shane Warne, the Royals announced themselves in style in 2008, beating a powerful Chennai side in the final. In 2009 though, things did not go all that well for Rajasthan, who failed to make it to the final four stage in the tournament that was held in South Africa. 2010 turned out to be a far worse year for Warne and his boys as they ended up as the second team from the bottom of the points table. They were slightly better in the previous edition of the IPL, although failing to make it to the top 4. 2012 will be a whole new affair for Rajasthan who will looking to start afresh in the absence of Warne. Rahul Dravid will take over as the new skipper and he will be hoping to lift the fortunes of the side which is known to spring a few surprises.
STRENGTHS:
All the focus will be on Dravid who retired from international cricket recently. The ever-reliable number 3 master will look to come out with a new vigour and play with all the freedom in the world. The Rajasthan side also have Johan Botha and Brad Hodge, who have proven to be match winners in the past. Hodge and Botha were in fact amongst the top all-rounders in IPL 2011. In Dinesh Chandimal and Ajinkya Rahane, Rajasthan have youngsters who have showcased their talent in the international circuit while the presence of experienced players like Paul Collingwood and Owais Shah lend stability.
In the bowling department, Rajasthan's main weapon is Shaun Tait, whose lethal pace and sharp yorkers will trouble many a batsmen. The eccentric Sreesanth is also part of the side and he certainly does have the ability to bowl well. Siddharth Trivedi and Amit Singh have done well for Rajasthan in the past and they too will have a key role to play. Also, the presence of quality spinners like Brad Hogg and Johan Botha adds variety to the bowling line-up.
WEAKNESSES:
Rajasthan's main weak-point lies in the fact that their captain and mentor Shane Warne, who over the years had gelled the team together as an unit, is no longer a part of the Royals setup. Though Dravid will bring his experience into play, Warne's absence will be felt as he will be missed by many youngsters who have considered him a father figure. Rajasthan will also miss the services of Ross Taylor, who played for the franchise for just one season before moving to the Daredevils team. Taylor's absence is a big blow for the Royals as the Kiwi is known for his quick-scoring abilities towards the death overs. While the likes of Hodge, Botha and Owais Shah are capable of scoring quick runs, the big hitting that comes with Taylor's game and his finishing abilities will be missed.
STAR PLAYER:
The team's main star attraction is the burly Australian all-rounder Shane Watson, who will be playing his fifth season of the IPL for the Royals. The hard-hitting opening batsman is just 13 runs short of reaching the 1000 mark in the IPL which will make him only the second Rajasthan player after Yusuf Pathan to achieve that mark. Watson has also done a fair share of bowling in the IPL and has a tally of 29 wickets to show for his efforts. Royals, like always, will look up to Watson to steer the team as the fifth season gets underway.
PLAYERS TO WATCH OUT FOR:
Dinesh Chandimal: In a short time that he has spent with the Sri Lankan team, Dinesh Chandimal has shown immense talent and has also shown that he has the ability to shine in all forms of the game. Some of Chandimal's best performances for Sri Lanka have come in ODIs while he has not yet made a mark at the T20 level. Despite that, he is capable of coming up with big contributions and the IPL is an ideal stage for the 23-year old, who is still in his formative years, to exhibit his skills.
Kevon Cooper: A right arm medium bowler, Kevon Cooper has not represented the West Indies team yet, but he has made a name for himself in the T20 arena by doing well for Trinidad & Tobago as well as the Chittagong Kings. His action came under the scanner while he was playing for T&T in the 2010-11 Caribbean T20 tournament, but he worked on it at the University of Western Australia and was eventually cleared to play cricket. His performance in the recently concluded Bangladesh Premier League made people take notice and Rajasthan will be hoping he delivers in the IPL.
KEY PLAYER TIMELINES:
Shane Watson will miss the first part of the IPL as he will be busy performing his duties for Australia at the Caribbean till April 27. This means that he will miss at least 7 matches for Rajasthan and possibly the eighth too if he cannot reach India by the 29th.
NEW ADDITIONS:
Brad Hogg, Dinesh Chandimal, Brad Hodge, Paul Collingwood, Owais Shah, S Sreesanth, Shreevats Goswami and Kevon Cooper.
ABSENTEES:
Shane Warne, Ross Taylor, Nayan Doshi, Jacob Oram, Swapnil Asnodkar and Dinesh Salunkhe.
RR in IPL:
| Played | Won | Lost | Tie | NR | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 56 | 30 | 25 | 1 | - | 54 |
TOURNAMENT HISTORY:
| Year | Position |
|---|---|
| 2008 | Winners |
| 2009 | 6th position |
| 2010 | 7th position |
| 2011 | 6th position |
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