Rajasthan Royals play the most heartening brand of cricket in the Indian Premier League (IPL) with the numerous youngsters and unheralded cricketers making a name for themselves. But, where are the results? Nishad Pai Vaidya writes that RR may perhaps need to tweak their ‘Moneyball’ approach a touch to find consistent success.
Turn your clocks back to 2008. Rajasthan Royals (RR), the least fancied side in the Indian Premier League (IPL), clinched the title under the inspiring leadership of Shane Warne. The team didn’t have big names, apart from Graeme Smith and Warne. Instead, it became a centre where lesser known names lifted their performances to find themselves alongside the biggest names. That formula worked well that year for Rajasthan with Warne at the helm.
Eight years down the line, that is the only title RR have to show in their trophy cabinet. Since then, they have qualified for the second round of the IPL on only two occasions, failing to reach the final on both. Along the way, they have managed to maintain their famous ‘Moneyball’ policy, bringing together a team of value rather than the stars. Yes, Rajasthan remain a school of young talent, where they are nurtured and moulded into confident prospects. That is easily the best aspect of their side, but where are the results?
RR have some established names in Shane Watson, Steven Smith, Ajinkya Rahane and James Faulkner. The young brigade in Karun Nair, Sanju Samson and Deepak Hooda have also shown their talent. These are some of the names who have risen to the occasion and showcased their abilities. Each season, RR have at least one young face coming to the part. It was Samson in 2013, Nair in 2014 and Hooda this year. For some reason though, this exuberance of youth and the presence of experienced stars doesn’t gel into a consistent winning unit?
Where then does RR lose the plot? The answer is in the lack of stability. There is a lot of shuffling in the batting order which inhibits their progress in the tournament. There is a thin line between flexibility and instability. RR were walking that thin line through the season before they fell by the wayside. On winning the first five games, they looked like the team to beat before they slumped to a series of defeats. They failed to persist with a consistent batting order which could have inhibited their progress.
Only Rahane and Watson (who came in later) held their opening spots, with the rest moving around. Take the example of Sanju; he has batted at almost all positions. Nair, too, briefly flirted with the No. 3 spot, doing well against Delhi Daredevils (DD) but wasn’t persisted there. Batsmen tend to lose their rhythm as they are moved around and RR erred in that constant policy.
The other thing RR should look at is a strong India player in their ranks. As of now, Rahane is perhaps the only established Indian name in international cricket in their side. Kulkarni is a part of their Indian team but remains on the fringes. RR somehow needs one major Indian star, who may not be the easiest to find, but they need that strong Indian option. Allowing youngsters the opportunity is great, but one cannot have too many of them in the playing XI. The Indian players are the ones who win you the tournament, which makes it all the more important to have an experienced one.
RR’s style is easily the most heartening for the fans as they see some of these unheralded players coming to the fore. It is time RR produce results more consistently and perhaps tweaking that ‘Moneyball’ approach just a touch could be the way ahead.
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