5 things Rajasthan Royals must do to reach the Playoffs this season

Narbavi

Rajasthan Royals, the first-ever champions, have always set a standard in the IPL. Their mantra has always been – ‘Expect the Unexpected’!A team which has never had the financial luxury as some of the other teams, Rajasthan has always served the original purpose of the IPL (to promote the local Indian players) to perfection. And yet they have, one way or the other, still managed to compete with the best teams.That said, they have faltered before reaching the finish line quite often, which is rather disappointing. At the same time, one wonders if the management’s decisions have cost them big time. Would they have reached a few more Playoffs if they had made a few more smart decisions?Here we discuss five things the Royals must do this season in order to qualify for the Playoffs:

#5 Drop Abhishek Nayar

Not often do you suggest a team to drop a man for whom they fought tooth and nail for 1 crore. But, in this case,the Mumbai all-rounder needs to be dropped without a doubt! For some reason, you wonder if he has lost some of his T20 abilities because he isnt the same batsman whom we saw in the very first edition of the IPL.

Even in the recent domestic T20 tournament, he couldnt make an impact with both bat and ball, and since RR have some talented players for all positions, Nayar has to fight it out with Rajat Bhatia for the number 8 slot. The Delhi veteran surely gets the nod here because of his recent performances in the IPL.

His variations have been tough to pick for the batsmen, and he is also a handy lower order hitter.

#4 Use Steven Smith as \'the floater\'

The man is in red hot form, so make use of him! Australia make him bat at number 3 now in ODI Cricket, but the RR management shouldn’t be tempted to do the same.

Of course, he can still come in at number 3 when a wicket falls in the very first over during a moderate chase. He can provide the much-needed stability in that case.

But what the Royals must do is make sure this guy floats around the batting order from 3 to 6 as per the situation. He can also use the long handle to perfection and can fill the void of Brad Hodge who was the perfect finisher for them in the previous seasons.

Do not make him a regular number 3 though, and the reason for that will be explained in a while.

#3 Pick Morris over Southee

Yes, Tim Southee rocked the recently concluded World Cup where he even managed a 7-wicket haul. He can also prove to be a very good bowler in this format, but when you look at his numbers, you will know that he leaks a lot of runs.

Especially in conditions where he doesnt get a lot of swing, he has been taken apart in the past. If the Royals can get the pitches at their new home to behave like they did at Jaipur recently, then in those games Southee can definitely be preferred. But, otherwise they have a better choice in the form of Chris Morris.

He has done well in the past for CSK, and he knows how to bowl in these conditions. He picks wickets and also keeps the runs down. So dont go by what happened in the World Cup, just pick Chris Morris over Tim Southee.

#2 Stop compromising on victories

Okay, this is something which they are always associated with. We are not sure if they will change their style, but as things stand, they need to do it.

Yes, it is important to give these young Indian players opportunities on this big stage where they can rub shoulders with some of the best players from around the world. But at times you feel that the Royals compromise on victories. And when I say compromise, I mean that they give you the impression that their first priority is to give these unknown players chances.

It helps at times, but it can also prove to be your downfall especially in a high-pressure game. Also too much of chopping and changing won’t help. Every top player can be rested for one game and not more.

They have already provided the platform to the likes of Karun Nair, Sanju Samson, Stuart Binny, Pravin Tambe and even Ajinkya Rahane to an extent. But this should be enough for now. It is time they stick to this group of players and mix them up with some established international stars and put in some consistent performances.

#1 Shane Watson is your own Chris Gayle - use him wisely

Of all the changes that were suggested, this has to be right on top! I really wonder when the Rajasthan Royals will realise that Shane Watson is their very own Chris Gayle. The destructive Aussie can have the same impact as the West Indian.

In fact, he has done it in the past too by becoming the only player to have won the Man of the Tournament twice in the history of IPL. He is going through a rough patch, but the Royals simply cannot demote him to number 5 again like they did last time.

Continuing on the previous suggestion, it is time they demote Sanju Samson to number 4 or even 5 and have Watson on top at number 3. He likes facing the hard ball and makes use of the powerplay. Once he is set, he also takes on the spinners with ease. They can have Smith at number 3 when they are chasing tricky low totals, but otherwise it should be Watson all the way.

Also, Watson the bowler was under utilised last season which needs to change too. He has consistently picked wickets for the Royals and has bowled at a good economy too. To keep it simple if Watson plays well, RR will go places!

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Edited by Staff Editor