'This is not the time to be flat': Shane Watson alarmed by Rajasthan Royals’ sudden decline

Former Australian all-rounder Shane Watson expressed alarm over Rajasthan Royals’ sudden dip in form, urging the Sanju Samson-led team to get their act together ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) playoffs.

RR suffered a five-wicket loss against Punjab Kings at Guwahati’s Barsapara Stadium, which was their fourth on the trot. The Royals had been leading the IPL points table for a majority of the season and had officially qualified for the playoffs on Tuesday, but are now in danger of losing out on a top-two finish at the end of the league stage.

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“I have been very surprised with how the Rajasthan Royals have taken off. They were flying high with no weaknesses in their team. They were able to just mix and match when they really needed to,” Watson, who was part of the Shane Warne-led side that won the inaugural edition in 2008, said on JioCinema.

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“They have certainly lost momentum and tonight, it seemed no one was up for the fight. Sanju Samson is the captain, he’s willing everyone to be up for the fight. Avesh Khan, Riyan Parag did a job, but outside of them, everyone looked flat. This is not the time to be flat.

“They need to get a few good performances under them and build their confidence to hit the playoffs flying. They are going in the other direction. For the Rajasthan Royals fans and players, that’s not what they want,” Watson added.

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The Rajasthan batters hardly got going after skipper Samson opted to bat, posting a sub-par 144/9 with local lad Riyan Parag top-scoring with a 34-ball 48.

Punjab lost wickets up front at the start of their chase and were reduced to 48/4 at one point before skipper Sam Curran came to their rescue and took them home with an unbeaten knock of 63. Curran had earlier chipped in with a haul of 2/24 from three overs that included the wicket of opener Yashasvi Jaiswal.