All you need to know about Sanju Samson's Rajasthan Royals

In the first ever edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), the Rajasthan Royals appointed Shane Warne (above), retired from international cricket over a year prior, as captain and coach; picked near-unknown faces like Swapnil Asnodkar, Siddharth Trivedi, and the new under-19 star, Ravindra Jadeja; and recalled Shane Watson when his career was going nowhere. (Illustration by Suneesh K.)

Rajasthan Royals confused most by their unusual selections at the first ever edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). They appointed Shane Warne, retired from international cricket over a year ago, as captain and coach; picked near-unknown faces like Swapnil Asnodkar, Siddharth Trivedi, and the new Under-19 star, Ravindra Jadeja; and recalled Shane Watson when his career was going nowhere. They put together a motley crew, of whom few were in demand at the auction. As a result, they ended up spending less than the IPL’s minimum cutoff and paid a fine. They then went through the season without losing a single home match en route to becoming the tournament’s first ever champions. The low-cost, high-output approach earned them the moniker of the IPL’s Moneyball Team.

Rajasthan continued with their knack of scouting diligently, picking unknown cricketers, and making heroes out of them. They spotted Kamran Khan, the teenage left-arm pace-bowling son of a woodcutter, at a local tournament. At the other end of the spectrum was Pravin Tambe, who was well into his forties but without any domestic cricket background: the Royals picked him from Mumbai club cricket.

Rajasthan emerged from the 2022 mega-auction with a unit of outstanding cricketers – but with almost no all-rounder: they released Rahul Tewatia, while Riyan Parag’s bowling became ineffective at this level. They tried to counter that by pushing R. Ashwin up the order, but the problem was not solved: none of their batters bowl, while almost none of their bowlers bats, offsetting the team’s balance.

Judicious use of the Impact Player would have addressed the problem, but the Royals camp was not efficient at it in 2023. Their success in 2024 will depend largely on how they change that. Their explosive batters and outstanding bowling attack are likely to address most of the rest.

Seasons: 1

IPL Titles: 1

Runners-up: 1

IPL matches won: 101

IPL matches lost: 100

W/L ratio: 1.010

How RR performed in 2023: Placed 5th on the IPL Points Table