In an alternative universe, Rajasthan Royals 3 will be in the top 4 with easy win. Instead, they exit an early IPL 2025.
Rajasthan Royals are all out of IPL 2025. Rahul Dravid has got a comeback, stumbled with 7 defeats in 9 matches in Jaipur’s organization. However, Dhruv Jurael, Shimron Hetmyer and Shubam Dubey will see back in the last fortnight thinking that RR easily won three more in his kitty.
For three direct sports, Rajasthan Royals have ‘bottled’ which seemed like an easy win. A familiar pattern emerges, fails to pursue royals. Hetmier and Jurael’s 250 million duo have failed to deal with pressure only with pressure, collapse and lose to the jaw of victory.
Micro -art of Rajasthan Royals and Not Finishing Games
The Rajasthan Royals campaign was still in balance when he traveled to Delhi to face the capitals. What should be a regular victory, Mitchell turned into a nightmare with Stark. Royals Harkiri won Delhi in Super, leaving Royals in Anguish.
While it was Stark in Delhi, it was Avih Khan, a former Peser of Rajasthan Royals in Jaipur. 9 needs 9 in the final over, Jurall, Hetmier and Dubey failed to finish the job as Lucknow super veterans won two runs. Royals need to be removed by just 25 in their last three overs against Lucknow, but failed to go on the line.
In Bengaluru, script looked. While Jurall struggled in Crach for most of his stay, he turned into a corner. Jurall and Dubey brought Bhuvneshwar Kumar the equation to take 18 off 12 balls for 22. Enter Josh Hazlewood. While Starc went with Yorker, Hazelwood mixed its length, using additional bounce for good effects. Jurall was caught behind and Archer was also caught in the cover. Australian Ace accepted just 1 and took two wickets for RR, now 17 to 17 are needed from the final. In specific fashion, RR lost the game by 11 runs, but all ended their IPL 2025 campaign.
A collective failure?
Before the IPL 2025 auction, only two of the two teams who maintained six players were Rajasthan Royals. He invested heavily in the pair of Shimron Hetmier and Dhruv Jurael, maintained at a joint cost of 25 crores. This decision is back to harass them, with Hetmyer-Jeural at the center of their three direct losses. That they were retained on the choice of Jose Butler and Yuzvendra Chahal, further compounds matter to a struggling side.
In an ideal world, Rajasthan should have won 3 easy victories. Instead, they have suffered three direct losses. Each disadvantage, more difficult to explain than the other. Each disadvantage where an opposition bowler bowled one of the biggest mantras of his career. Each necklace where the Royals bus shot themselves in the leg.
Mathematically, Royals can still make playoffs. He needs to win his last five matches and hope that other results will go on his way. But given that he has his own game ‘bottled’, it seems that his chapter has been done in IPL 2025.
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