The rights and wrongs of Rajasthan's season so far

Three matches down. two wins and one loss. Third in the points table. A reasonable beginning to the Rajasthan Royals’ campaign. The match against Pune was supposed to be an easy one. A win would have taken the Royals to the top of the tree. But Pune snapped their 11-match losing streak and registered their first win of the season, thanks mainly to Aaron Finch’s brilliance up top. It’s early into the season and teams are just about getting their combinations right. Rajasthan Royals too have tried their fair share of players and most of them have put up their hands when required. But there are a few areas which need improvement. [caption id=“attachment_697505” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Rahul Dravid has made two half-centuries in three games. BCCI[/caption] So, here is looking at the rights and wrongs of the Royals’ season till now and what could be better. The Rights Horses for Courses: This has been Royals approach this season. The three matches till now have seen different bowling attacks and a few changes in the batting order. The first match in Delhi saw them play Badree owing to the pitch being conducive spin. The second match in Jaipur against KKR saw them playing five seamers, including Shaun Tait. The pitch had a tinge of green, hence the decision. Yesterday’s match against Pune saw the debut of James Faulkner who was picked for Tait, to strengthen the batting. This approach will definitely hold the Royals in good stead throughout the competition. The players will remain fresh and give their best in every match. Dropping Anchor: Rahul Dravid, Ajinkya Rahane and Brad Hodge are three players around who the team can build their innings. And they have delivered each time. Dravid with half centuries in the first and third matches and Hodge with 46* against KKR. Rahane has had good starts in every match. This has ensured that the Royals have got a competitive total every time they have been on the playing field. The three have looked in impressive form and will be critical in Royals’ journey through the tournament. Kevon Cooper and Siddharth Trivedi: Trivedi is Royal’s most capped player in IPL. He is also the most under-rated player in the team. He has the knack of picking up wickets with his wicked variations and has a pretty decent economy rate. His bowling in the last two matches has been a major plus for the Royals. Cooper was a terrific addition to the Royals brigade last season. His death bowling won them the match against Delhi and he has been constantly among the wickets. In fact, he is just one wicket behind the current purple cap holder, Vinay Kumar. He hasn’t yet expressed himself in the batting department, but don’t be surprised if he wins a couple of matches wielding his bat. The Wrongs Big hitting batsmen: The top order has always responded in affirmative. The middle order has been pretty influential as well. But the Royals seem to be lacking at least one big hitting batsman who can give them the thrust and add the extra 15-20 runs that could be vital. Yes, they have Shane Watson who hasn’t quite got into the groove as yet. The addition of Sachin Baby into the team could make a difference as well. But that part of their batting has been missing till now. Hopefully, Watto will be the answer to this question in the upcoming games. Inconsistency of Sreesanth: Sreesanth is a vital cog in RR’s bowling unit. He can be inspirational on his days but utterly rubbish on off days. Yesterday was one such day. Pune were chasing a modest total of 145 and the bowlers couldn’t have afforded an off day. All the Royals bowlers responded in kind, except for Sreesanth. He was extremely wayward from ball one and Finch feasted on it. He leaked 38 runs in the 2.4 overs he bowled. Sreesanth needs to be more consistent, or he can lose matches on his own for the Royals. It is still quite early into the season and Royals have put up commendable performances to start with. They had a minor slip up last match but be rest assured of a better show in the forthcoming matches. The next match is on Sunday against the Kings XI in Jaipur. The Sawai Mansingh stadium has been nothing short of a fortress. Here’s wishing it stays that way.