4 players whose IPL careers dwindled after leaving Rajasthan Royals

Rajasthan Royals are one of the most exciting teams in the Indian Premier League. They impressed everyone with the title victory in the inaugural edition of the IPL under the captaincy of legendary Australian spinner Shane Warne, and have been putting up spirited performances ever since.

Yes, they have failed to emulate their initial success, and haven't able to find a motivating captain like Warne. But despite not producing the desired results, they are widely known for unearthing rare and skilled talents from across the country.

RR are responsible for bringing cricketers like Sanju Samson, Karun Nair, Shreevats Goswami and Pravin Tambe to the fore.

While some of their former players like Tim Southee, Shane Watson and Ben Cutting have tasted immense success while donning the jerseys of other franchises, some others haven't been able to much make of an impact after leaving Jaipur.

Here, we take a look at four cricketers whose IPL careers dwindled after leaving Rajasthan Royals.

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#4 Kevon Cooper

Kevon Cooper

Kevon Cooper, the tall and lanky pacer from Trinidad and Tobago, was once deemed to be the next Dwayne Bravo in the making. He was a hot property in the IPL due to his splendid all-round skills.

In the 6 matches he played in the 2012 edition of the Indian Premier League, he took 10 wickets at a sublime economy rate of 7.25. However, his performances in the next season were the complete opposite, as he failed to make any notable contribution.

Due to his unimpressive performances and also the constant injuries he suffered, Cooper's value as a cricketer dropped down significantly and he got very less game time. He warmed the bench for the most part of the 2013 season, making only 5 appearances.

He was subsequently released by the franchise ahead of the 2015 IPL auction and has remained unsold since then.

#3 Johan Botha

Johan Botha

South Africa's Johan Botha is perhaps one of the most underrated all-rounders in the world. During the peak of his career, he was one of the most sought-after all-rounders in various T20 leagues across the world.

He was acquired by Rajasthan Royals during the 2009 IPL auction and went on to play three seasons for them. The Rajasthan-based franchise used his potential to the maximum, and he proved to be a reliable all-rounder.

Botha stifled the batsmen with his off-breaks and was primarily used as an opening bowler. He was also very effective with the bat in the lower middle-order.

However, most of Botha's abilities weren't put to good use after his departure from Rajasthan Royals. He was a part of Delhi Capitals in 2013 and was roped in as a replacement for the injured Chris Lynn by Kolkata Knight Riders in 2015, but failed to make much of an impression at either team.

#2 Munaf Patel

Munaf Patel recently announced his retirement from all formats of the game

Medium pace bowler Munaf Patel recently announced his retirement from all formats of the game. He is greatly remembered for providing some much-needed breakthroughs for the Indian team during the ICC 2011 World Cup.

Munaf had a brilliant start to his IPL career as he garnered 14 wickets from 15 matches at a good economy rate of 7.63. He was the go-to bowler for Shane Warne and played a huge role in Rajasthan Royals' title victory in the first edition.

Munaf was let go by RR after the 2010 edition of the IPL and was roped in by Mumbai Indians. Despite having a great season for Mumbai Indians in 2011, he failed to perform in the subsequent seasons and was later released.

He last played for Gujarat Lions in 2017, where he made two appearances.

#1 Graeme Smith

Graeme Smith

Graeme Smith, the legendary South African opener, is undoubtedly one of the best players to have played for Rajasthan Royals. He was a part of the Rajasthan setup for the first three editions of the Indian Premier League before making a move to Pune Warriors India.

During his tenure at Rajasthan Royals, Smith played the role of an opener as well as a middle-order batsman. He provided brilliant starts at the top of the order and steadied the innings when needed.

He was released by Rajasthan Royals ahead of the 2011 IPL Auction.

Despite being roped in by the now-defunct Pune Warriors India for a massive sum of 2 crore, Smith failed to show consistency in his performances. He struggled to play the big shots and was released by the franchise in the very next season.