Rajasthan Royals aim for second IPL title under Sanju Samson’s leadership

The Royals, who made it to the 2022 IPL final but fell short against Gujarat Titans before missing out on the playoffs the following season, have consistently been a team that captivates fans.

Hyderabad: Champions in the inaugural edition, Rajasthan Royals are still in search of the second title in the IPL and should hope the flamboyant opener and captain Sanju Samson lead from the front in this season.

Royals, which reached the 2022 edition final and lost to Gujarat Titans before failing to qualify for the play-offs in the next season, has been one of the teams which has always caught the imagination of the fans.

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With former India coach Rahul Dravid being the head coach and one who has seen Sanju Samson from his early days, the chemistry between them should be a huge plus.

In the last season, Royals knocked out Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the qualifier before being eliminated by Sunrisers Hyderabad.

The batting line-up is pretty impressive with Samson and Yashasvi Jaiswal at the top, the free-stroking and dangerous Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Nitish Rana, West Indian Shimron Hetmyer all capable of taking on the best of the bowling attacks on their day. So, effectively, Royals should look to at least three of these big guns in batting to come good on any given day. Clearly, Hetmyer needs to fire on all cylinders even as his form and fitness may be a bit of a concern for the management.

For sure, all eyes will be on whether the 14-year-old batting sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who happens to be the youngest player ever to clinch an IPL deal, will get a chance to showcase his talent.

Interestingly, Royals preferred not to retain or buy back the likes of Trent Boult, Yuzvendra Chahal and R. Ashwin instead secured the services of fast bowlers Englishman Jofra Archer, Tushar Deshpande, Akash Madhwal and Sri Lankan spin duo of Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana which is expected to take control of the crucial middle-overs if the team were to be in a with a chance to stun the opposition.

It was not that Royals was outplayed in the last season as it won eight games and lost five and should be looking for the desired consistency right through the championship.