What Exactly Went Wrong for Rajasthan Royals in the IPL 2025?

Rajasthan Royals, the champions of the very first IPL season, had a tough and disappointing campaign in IPL 2025. Once known for their sharp game plans and bold performances, the team is now officially out of the playoff race after a massive 100-run defeat against the Mumbai Indians. They’ve become the second team after Chennai Super Kings to be knocked out of the tournament. At the start of the season, the Royals looked strong on paper as their squad seemed well-balanced with a settled playing XI, experienced overseas players, and a few young Indian stars.

🚨 RAJASTHAN ROYALS OUT OF THE IPL 2025 🚨 pic.twitter.com/HcGgM4Yefn

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) May 1, 2025

Fans and experts expected them to be one contenders for the title this year. However, the season didn’t go their way at all, and after playing 11 matches, they have managed to win only 3 games and lost 8, which has pushed them down to 8th place on the points table. Their net run rate of -0.780 also reflects how poorly they performed in some matches. The main problems for the Rajasthan Royals were inconsistency in batting, poor middle-order performances, and bowlers failing to deliver under pressure. Injuries and team selection issues also played a role. Despite a few good individual efforts, the team never clicked together.

Blunders at the Auction Table

Rajasthan Royals, ahead of the IPL 2025 season, made several questionable decisions in the auction that have now come back to haunt them. It all started with the retention list, where the Royals decided to let go of some of their most experienced and impactful players. Big names like Jos Buttler, Trent Boult, Yuzvendra Chahal, and Ravichandran Ashwin, all of whom played key roles in past seasons, were not retained. These players had not only delivered consistent performances but also brought leadership and experience to the team, something the Royals lacked this season.

Instead, Rajasthan chose to retain players like Riyan Parag, Shimron Hetmyer, Dhruv Jurel, and Yashasvi Jaiswal, giving them high salary packages. While Jaiswal and Samson have had a few good games, Parag, Jurel, and Hetmyer have failed to perform consistently. When it came to the IPL 2025 Mega Auction, Rajasthan Royals had a purse of 120 crore, out of which they spent 119.7 crore.

RAJASTHAN ROYALS RETENTIONS. 📢 pic.twitter.com/xV0MpiUMPF

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) October 31, 2024

But their auction strategy was questionable from the start. The team went for players like Jofra Archer (₹12.5 cr) and Maheesh Theekshana (₹4.4 cr), both of whom did not perform as expected. Archer was expensive with the ball, and Theekshana failed to pick up key wickets. Similarly, Wanindu Hasaranga (₹5.25 Cr) and Tushar Deshpande (₹6.5 cr) were brought in at high prices but didn’t make a major impact.

They also spent on relatively unknown or unproven names like Akash Madhwal, Kumar Kartikeya Singh, Yudhvir Charak, and Vaibhav Suryavanshi, expecting them to be surprise packages. However, most of them lacked experience and couldn’t stand up to pressure in crucial matches. Royals also brought in young talents like Kwena Maphaka and Shubham Dubey, but they were not game-changers either.

After retention of shimron hetmyer over Jos Buttler Rajasthan royals have cleared that Sanju Samson and Yashasvi jaiswal are going to open and Jos Buttler is no longer a part of RR in upcoming ipl 2025.
RR have only 41cr purse left and they need to build the whole bowling lineup. pic.twitter.com/ZvyXdW93gO

— Registanroyals (@registanroyals) October 31, 2024

Overall, the team lacked balance. There was no solid backup for the top order or a consistent finisher in the lower order. The bowling attack missed an experienced leader, especially in death overs. The impact of player choices also didn’t make any meaningful difference throughout the season. The decision to let go of key players, overpay underperformers, and gamble on inexperienced names ended up hurting the Royals.

Rajasthan Royals Struggle with Too Many Out-of-Form Players in IPL 2025

The IPL 2025 saw Rajasthan Royals being the most inconsistent side of the season, largely due to underwhelming performances from key players in both batting and bowling departments. Despite having a talented squad on paper, the team struggled to build momentum, resulting in a disappointing campaign. With Sanju Samson, their regular captain, ruled out mid-season due to injury, the leadership responsibility fell on the shoulders of the Rajasthan Royals. Riyan Parag and Parag showed glimpses of promise with the bat, but the collective failure of the unit ultimately let the team down.

💔 pic.twitter.com/PVA3mmMFTt

— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) May 1, 2025

Yashasvi Jaiswal was the standout performer with the bat, scoring 439 runs in 11 matches at an average of 43.90 and a blistering strike rate of 154.03. He hit five fifties and showcased his ability to anchor and accelerate. However, his efforts often lacked support at the other end. V Suryavanshi impressed in his limited appearances, scoring 151 runs in 4 innings with a staggering strike rate of 209.72, including a century. But his late inclusion meant he couldn’t influence the season as a whole.

Sanju Samson, before his injury, managed 224 runs in 7 innings at an average of 37.33, striking at 143.58, and his calm presence in the middle order was missed once he exited the tournament. Dhruv Jurel stepped up with 249 runs at an average of 35.57 and a strike rate of 147.33, including one fifty. His ability to finish games was a positive for the Royals. As acting captain, Riyan Parag scored 282 runs in 11 innings at an average of 31.33 and a healthy strike rate of 160.22, and while he led from the front with the bat to some extent, his inexperience in captaincy showed in tactical decisions.

Nitish Rana contributed 217 runs, including two half-centuries, but averaged only 21.70, often failing to convert starts while Shimron Hetmyer had a forgettable season with just 187 runs in 10 innings at an average of 20.77, managing only one fifty and registering a duck. The bowling unit was where Rajasthan Royals truly struggled as Wanindu Hasaranga was the most effective among them, picking up 10 wickets in 8 matches with a best of 4 for 35 and a strike rate of 18. However, his economy rate of 9.20 hurt the team in crucial overs. Maheesh Theekshana, despite playing all 10 games, took only 10 wickets and leaked runs at 9.71 per over.

Jofra Archer, expected to lead the attack, managed just 10 wickets in 11 matches with a high average of 40.10. While Sandeep Sharma and Tushar Deshpande also failed to provide breakthroughs regularly, with both averaging over 40 and going for nearly 10 runs per over. Overall, the Royals’ campaign was marred by misfiring bowlers and inconsistent middle-order batting.

Jofra Archer, expected to lead the attack, managed just 10 wickets in 11 matches with a high average of 40.10. Sandeep Sharma and Tushar Deshpande also failed to provide breakthroughs regularly, with both averaging over 40 and going for nearly 10 runs per over. Kartikeya, in limited chances, picked up only 2 wickets in 4 matches. Overall, the Royals’ campaign was marred by misfiring bowlers and inconsistent middle-order batting.