Rajasthan Royals have just five matches left in the group phase of IPL 2025
Rajasthan Royals sit second from bottom in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 table with just four points after nine matches.
The only reason they are not rock bottom is the marginally better negative Net Run Rate than Chennai Super Kings.
The reasons are several. The 2008 champions have missed the influence of skipper Sanju Samson who was recovering from a finger injury at the beginning of the season which saw him feature only as a batter in the form of an Impact Player.
The keeper-batter then suffered a tear on his side while playing against DC which has ruled him out for an unspecified amount of time.
Their batters have failed miserably as the Team In Pink has lost three matches in a row while chasing.
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They came close on all three occasions against Lucknow Super Giants, Delhi Capitals and Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
Ahead of the clash against Gujarat Titans, RR’s bowling coach Shane Bond accepted that the team will try to win all of their remaining five league matches, but admitted that the team is out of the playoffs race.
“The hardest thing is that, for 35 overs of games we’ve played really well and in fact have been in control in some games and probably got into positions where we should have won. You have to give credit to the opposition, they were good enough in those tight moments to go over the top of us and win those games,” Bond said in the pre-match press conference.
RR lost against LSG when they scored nine runs to score off the last six balls, while it was the same margin in the tied match against DC which they lost on Super Over. Against an RCB which has never won at home this season, RR capitulated when the equation was 18 required off 12 balls and lost by 11 runs.
“We’re probably out of the tournament in terms of the points table, but that doesn’t mean there’s not a lot to play for. Obviously, as a team, we want to make sure we finish the season strong and continue playing well, but also for individuals there’s a lot to play for, for the next season, wanting to stay with the franchise,” Bond admitted.
If RR win all of their remaining matches, they can make things difficult for a number of mid-table teams vying for a playoffs spot.
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