http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Rajasthan-c837 Royals – Indian Premier League – Team Assessment
Rajasthan Royals, a diminutively statured Indian Premier League franchise had their share of thrills and kills during the fifth season. Minus http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Shane-Keith-Warne-c89672, they held their end well all campaign only to falter at the final hurdle to finish an unsatisfactory seventh in the table.
While Warne’s era was marked with certain guile, terming them underdogs for the current season was out of question considering they had another comparable leader in Rahul Dravid to look upon to. They made some shrewd, including http://www.senore.com/Cricket/George-Bradley-Hogg-c59047.
Top Players –
Rajasthan played attacking cricket for the best part of their campaign with the most prolific among the lot being http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Ajinkya-Rahane-c970. The promising Indian youngster held the orange cap in the early stages of competition and provided some elegant knocks, which included the first century of the season, against Royal Challengers. In total he scored 560 runs, striking the ball cleanly at almost 130.
He was well aided by some of the veterans including Dravid (462), Shah (340) and http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Brad-Hodge-c1184 (245), all of whom remained key performers for the side. Shane Watson’s late arrival gave the team the added support but a collective spark, which was the focal point of the team’s success early on, went missing in the final two games, and eventually costing them a place in the play-offs.
Their bowling performances were also indifferent. http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Kevon-Cooper-c71194 shared the early workload before getting injured, while Brad Hogg proved his mettle once again with some crafty spin bowling, claiming 10 wickets at an impressive economy rate of 7.02.
Among the Indian contingent, Trivedi has his share of moments in the limelight – ending with 13 scalps to his name.
Disappointment and Joy
Having challenged well all season, Royals needed two wins from their final two games. Their task was also manageable – an away game at the then bottom club Deccan Chargers, followed by a home bout against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Mumbai-c820 Indians. However, they failed to play as a unit and eventually bowed out of the competition rather too easily.
They however, will be satisfied to see themselves challenging the so-called big guns. Rahane’s stature has increased, while Hogg’s performances would also be seen as promising. They have assembled a closely-knit unit and will be inclined to http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Adrian-Roger-Kirshaw-Pierson-c42135 with the same personnel for the coming seasons.
Final Verdict
The major point to ponder will be the state of http://www.senore.com/Cricket/R-Dravid-c2229’s role with the franchise. They need someone to carry the team forward – Warne did it for the first four seasons and somehow they managed to find Dravid as a perfect replacement.
If the skipper decides to hang his boots, they will need to get an Indian player of solid reputation to fill in the void. Also, the reliance on http://www.senore.com/Cricket/SR-Watson-c2558 was evident in their final games, and will need to ensure that other domestic players, apart from Rahane, come to the foil. Also, a quality fast bowler could serve the team well.
Reflecting on his own role and the team’s future, Dravid said, "I really don't know (about my future). I will have to think it over. I would take a break and decide about my role. We'd like a good young ambitious guy to come in and open the batting for us with Ajinkya next season," he said. "But if we can't find someone, then there's always the option of me playing, we'll see how it goes."
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