For Rajasthan Royals, this IPL season was nothing short of a meltdown.
Eight losses in nine run-chases. That’s not a slump — that’s a full-blown collapse. And guess what? That ties the all-time IPL record for most defeats while chasing in a season… with Pune Warriors India. Yeah, those guys.
And it’s not like they were being blown away. Five of those defeats came by 11 runs or fewer. That’s margins you should be able to close. One game went to a Super Over. Twice, they failed to chase 9 runs in the final over. Once, they needed 18 off the last two — and still lost. This wasn’t just poor finishing — this was systemic.
And yet, they had the best possible starts. Literally. Best powerplay run rate in the league — 11 runs per over. In their last match, they smashed 89 runs in the first six overs. But somehow, the middle-overs have been a graveyard for them.
Between overs 7 to 15, they lost 38 wickets this season — the most by any team.
Now let’s talk about the lower middle-order — the finishing unit. Shimron Hetmyer was supposed to be the finisher. But he’s averaged under 21 with a strike rate of 143 — not nearly enough for your star overseas batter.
Yes, Dhruv Jurel has over 300 runs at a strike rate of 150, and Shubham Dubey has scored at 161, but the final impact? Missing. The punch at the end? Never landed.
And the bowling? Equally forgettable. In 9 matches where they bowled first, they conceded 200+ runs 7 times. Not a single RR bowler features in the top 20 wicket-takers.
And shockingly — Riyan Parag has their best economy rate: 8. Everyone else? Hovering around 9.5 to 11. Some even beyond.
Even the captaincy felt uncertain — bouncing between Sanju Samson and Riyan Parag.
So yes, Rajasthan fans, this has been a season to erase from memory. Except for one thing — that opening partnership of Jaiswal and Suryavanshi. That was electric. That’s worth remembering.
The rest? Move along. Nothing to see here.
