As Rajasthan Royals continue their search for the second title, we take a closer look at four players who could be pivotal in their IPL 2025 campaign.
Rajasthan Royals won their only championship in the inaugural Indian Premier League edition under the leadership of Shane Warne. They have since been trying to get their hands on the coveted trophy.
The franchise had a prolonged period among the bottom-placed teams season after season but have been on a better trajectory in the last three seasons. Sanju Samson-led side were the runners-up in IPL 2022, losing in the final to Gujarat Titans. In the following year, they missed out on the top four spot by two points while last year, they lost in Qualifier 2.
With Rahul Dravid back as the head coach, RR will be hoping to go a few steps further in the IPL 2025. One could say, they didn’t do a particularly good job of rebuilding the squad after the mega auction.
Rajasthan Royals retained Sanju Samson, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Shimron Hetmyer and Sandeep Sharma ahead of the auction. They then brought in some quality players in Jofra Archer, Wanindu Hasaranga, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Nitish Rana and Maheesh Theekshana among others.
Overall, the squad doesn’t look imposing with several holes and some of the players will have to be at their best if Rajasthan Royals are to go deeper in IPL 2025.
Following four years of frustrating battles with multiple injuries, Jofra Archer seems to be back to his full fitness and bowling rockets. He is also back in the Rajasthan Royals side. When he is on song, Archer is among the very best bowlers in any format.
The last time Archer played for the Royals, he won the Most Valuable Player award for his 20 wickets and 112 runs. He will be leading the bowling attack for RR in IPL 2025, with Sandeep Sharma, Tushar Deshpande, Wanindu Hasaranga and Fazalhaq Farooqi to support him.
Archer has bowled well but has been expensive in recent times. How he fares in the upcoming season will be crucial for the Royals.
With Jos Buttler not there anymore, Sanju Samson will be the most important batter for Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2025. The skipper has done well in the last few years, bringing consistency to his game while maintaining the attacking instincts.
Sanju Samson amassed 531 runs in the previous edition of the IPL, averaging 48 at a strike rate of 153. He has since scored 487 runs in T20 international at 34 average and 171 strike rate, with three centuries.
The 30-year old had a poor series against England with a pattern of dismissals on short balls. But you expect a player of his class to find answers and regain his form.
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Shimron Hetmyer will have to play a big role for Rajasthan Royals as their senior middle order batter and designated finisher. The left-hand batter was retained by the franchise for his ability to provide them with finishing touches.
Hetmyer had excellent campaigns in 2022-23, where he made over 600 runs at an average of 40 and strike rate of 152. Last year wasn’t as productive, with only 113 runs at 23 average and 164 strike rate.
After years of facing criticism for not living up to the trust shown by Rajasthan Royals, Riyan Parag finally had a breakout season last year. He had always been a consistent performer in the domestic circuit but it took him a long time to replicate that on the big stage of IPL.
Parag had a sensational campaign last year, amassing 573 runs batting in the middle order at an average of 52 and strike rate of 149. Parag will once again be a vital figure for Rajasthan Royals in the upcoming IPL 2025.
