With the 11th edition of IPL, this year Rajasthan Royals have completed nine years in the immensely loved mad-rush tournament. The team’s journey has been a fascinating and intriguing spectacle. In 2008, Royals started as underdogs with legend Shane Warne donning the dual role of both the captain and the coach. While the notion that it’s a team low on superstars and no Bollywood patronage played on everyone’s psyche, Warne spun magic with the minnows and stunned everyone by winning a cliffhanger against CSK to lift the maiden IPL title. The box office show earned Royals not just the title of a dark horse, but also helped them win million of fans. They became popular as the team which believe in the power of greenhorns.
With the 11th edition of IPL, this year Rajasthan Royals have completed nine years in the immensely loved mad-rush tournament. The team’s journey has been a fascinating and intriguing spectacle. In 2008, Royals started as underdogs with legend Shane Warne donning the dual role of both the captain and the coach. While the notion that it’s a team low on superstars and no Bollywood patronage played on everyone’s psyche, Warne spun magic with the minnows and stunned everyone by winning a cliffhanger against CSK to lift the maiden IPL title. The box office show earned Royals not just the title of a dark horse, but also helped them win million of fans. They became popular as the team which believe in the power of greenhorns.
The reputation remained, but under Warne team failed to pick up in the next three years till 2011 and saw themselves languishing at the bottom of the table. To revive the fortune of the team, the Royals’ management chose a complete contrast of Warne and handed over the reins to the Indian stalwart Rahul Dravid. The new captain instantly struck a chord with fans and despite having a mediocre 2012 season, Dravid always enjoyed the backing of both fans and cricket pundits. Under him, the team showed promise and revived hopes of winning another title in 2013 when they made it to the play-offs. This was the same year when they were stuck in the middle of spot-fixing that led to suspension of three players.
Dravid passed on the baton to Shane Watson in 2014 and he himself played the role of a coach. The following year Royals finished fourth but off the field they courted controversy that proved detrimental for them as one of the team’s owners was found guilty of match-fixing and the franchise was suspended for two years.
Making a comeback this year, while Royals were looking to re-establish their brand, they were again made to cut a sorry figure after the team’s original captain Steve Smith was caught in ball-tampering controversy in South Africa before the IPL start. Though the team had nothing to do with the issue, it had to deal with the setback of not having Smith in the team and appoint Ajinkya Rahane as the captain who was their ‘second choice’.
The Royals’ run is a testament to the fact that cricket does not permit its children an easy raising or its veterans a comfortable passing. It all started with spin wizard Warne as the winning captain and ended (2018 season) with him being the mentor of a substandard team. May be we are a day ahead of reading what lies in store for Royals this season- a berth in playoffs or an anonymous exit, but the fact remains that it was a team that showed flashes of brilliance and largely rode on the performance of the batsman Jos Buttler.
Dependent upon the standing of other teams, tomorrow (May 20) it will be clear if Rajasthan Royals are among the four teams to enter the race of playoffs or not.
The reputation
The reputation remained, but under Warne team failed to pick up in the next 3 years till 2011 and saw themselves languishing at the bottom of the table. To revive the fortune of the team, the Royals’ management chose a complete contrast of Warne and handed over the reins to the Indian stalwart Rahul Dravid.
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