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Tag: Rajasthan Royals

  • Crucial to give individual or opening partners enough time: Rajasthan Royals skipper Sanju Samson

    By ANI
    MUMBAI: Ahead of their opening clash against Punjab Kings, Rajasthan Royals skipper Sanju Samson said that the side will look for a “bit of stability” in the opening department after trying five combinations at the top-order in the last season.

    Ben Stokes is most likely to retain his place at the top after a stellar last edition while opening for the side. Jos Buttler and Yashasvi Jaiswal are also in the squad to pair up with Stokes for the opening.

    “Actually, it depends, me and Sanga will be trying to give the best combination for the team. From my point of view, it is crucial to give an individual or opening partners enough time in the tournament. So, a bit of stability will be seen in the tournament and the rest is dependent upon how we go ahead,” Samson said in a virtual press conference on Sunday.

    When asked about the team’s approach this season, Samson said, “Nothing much has to be changed, I truly believe in my own players and all supporting staff. It is all about trusting yourself and going there and expressing yourself.”

    He further said that the franchise will carry on the attacking playing style as it is the demand of the 20-over game.

    “This format demands that kind of attitude. We like to believe that everyone is thinking with the almost same mindset so the players’ mindset is almost the same to go out and play some good cricket and enjoy their fearless attitude. That is what we stick to and that is what this tournament demands. So, we keep it that way,” Samson added.

    Rajasthan Royals will lock horns against Punjab Kings here at the Wankhede Stadium on Monday.

  • Missing Jofra Archer is big blow, we have faith in young Indian pacers Kartik Tyagi, Chetan Sakariya: Kumar Sangakkara

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: Star pacer Jofra Archer’s absence because of injury is a “big blow” to Rajasthan Royals but their new Director of Cricket Kumar Sangakkara is confident that the team’s young Indian fast bowlers will rise to the challenge in this year’s Indian Premier League.

    Archer, who played with a hand injury during the India series, is currently recuperating from a surgery and the duration of his availability during the later part is still not clear.

    “Sanju and I will both agree that it’s a big blow for us. Jofra is a very vital part of our make-up and not to have him is unfortunately the reality of it. We have to work around it and plan contingencies,” Sangakkara told PTI during a virtual press conference on Sunday ahead of the clash against Punjab Kings here on Monday.

    The former Sri Lankan captain is, however, hopeful that Archer will be available at some point and “play his part in the IPL.”

    The weak link for Royals, over the years, has been their Indian pace attack where the most experienced name Jaydev Unadkat hasn’t exactly set the stage on fire.

    Apart from Unadkat, they have his left-arm back-up Chetan Sakariya and the immensely talented Kartik Tyagi.

    “Inexperience can probably work for you and it could mean that opposition hasn’t seen you either. Fast bowling in IPL is not an easy task and we saw that yesterday (Delhi Capitals vs Chennai Super Kings) as well,” said Sangakkara, who has played a number of seasons in the IPL.

    “Most of the wickets are good for batting. So, you have to be quite skilful. We have Kartik Tyagi, who did pretty well last season in patches and this year we have new additions (pacer) Kuldeep Yadav (Jr) and Chetan Sakariya,” he stated.

    For Sangakkara, it is imperative that these youngsters are prepared to understand match situations and bowl accordingly.

    “It’s about keeping them focussed on what their job is and get them trained and prepared to execute different deliveries, scenarios and match plans for the opposition but at the same time, giving them confidence about their own strengths.”

    The Royals skipper Sanju Samson has gone slightly off the radar as far as the national team is concerned after having failed to grab even a single opportunity.

    However, Sangakkara believes that both the captain and Rahul Tewatia, who recently was in India squad for the T20 series against England, could be national team regulars if they can trust their abilities a bit more.

    “Pressure is always there. Whether it is Sanju or Rahul, reality is they will tell you that expectations and pressures will always be there. Everyone has various coping mechanisms to deal with it, focus is to stay in the moment,” he said.

    “It is very important to have those grand ambitions of playing regular international cricket, and both Sanju and Rahul are very capable of not just being regulars but great, outstanding performers at the international stage.”

    The eloquent former glovesman wants each of his 11 players to be “problem solvers”, who can think on their feet and help the skipper.

    “…that really helps the skipper Sanju a lot on the field when people are thinking themselves as to what’s going on (match situation), and it also builds a lot of trust within the unit,” he added.

  • MS Dhoni inspiration behind emergence of keeper-captains in IPL: Rajasthan Royals star Jos Buttler

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Rajasthan Royals’ English recruit Jos Buttler believes the legendary Mahendra Singh Dhoni is the inspiration behind emergence of wicketkeeper-captains in the world’s biggest T20 league, the IPL.

    In the ongoing IPL, four out of eight franchises will be captained by wicket-keepers and Buttler feels the credit should go to Dhoni for setting the trend.

    Besides Dhoni, who has been Chennai Super Kings’ skipper since the inaugural edition in 2008, three more glovesmen — KL Rahul (Punjab Kings), Sanju Samson (Rajasthan Royals) and Rishabh Pant (Delhi Capitals) will lead their respective sides in the ongoing IPL.

    “I am sure MSD (Dhoni) has something to do with the sixth sense and breeding of wicketkeepers who can captain. He obviously has been a fantastic captain and there are lots of players who want to follow his footsteps,” Buttler told PTI Bhasha in an exclusive interview.

    Buttler himself a wicketkeeper, feels stumpers enjoy an advantage as captains as they get a 360 degree view of the proceedings.

    “I think a wicketkeeper has a brilliant view of the game. That can add to your decision making as you can see first-hand how the wicket is behaving and the way bowlers are bowling,” he said.

    The 30-year-old Englishman expects Samson to deliver the goods as skipper and termed compatriot Ben Stokes as the X-factor for Rajasthan.

    “We have lots of variety in the team this season with some world-class all rounders like Ben Stokes and Chris Morris and a new captain. Sanju (Samson) is very exciting player and has a long affiliation with the franchise. He is a very calm person and likes to have fun. I am sure he would try and get across that to the team. There will be a lot of passion in his leadership.

    “I strongly believe Ben Stokes will be the X-factor for our team in this season,” said Buttler, who has played 50 Tests, 148 ODIs and 79 T20 matches for England.

    The presence a legend like Kumar Sangakkara as the team’s Director of Cricket will be beneficial for RR, said the cricketer.

    “He (Sangakkara) is a legend and has so much knowledge to share. He has vast experience of international cricket and has played the IPL too. He knows what to expect and it’s a big plus for everyone to have him around,” said Buttler.

    Buttler, who captained England in the final two ODIs of the three-match series in India recently in the absence of an injured regular skipper Eoin Morgan, said that outing was a valuable learning experience for him.

    “Playing against India in India is always the biggest challenge for England team. I mean playing against the best players and getting used to the conditions.

    “Playing against some young Indian players was a great experience. I have enjoyed playing and captaining against India. I have learnt a lot about myself from that experience,” he said.

    Ever since international cricket resumed, the players have been forced to stay in bio-bubbles to avoid contracting the deadly coronavirus, making it extremely difficult for players to stay fresh and motivated.

    With India witnessing an exponential surge in COVID-19 cases, the ongoing IPL is also being held behind closed doors.

    “Playing without fans and living continuously in bio-bubbles is difficult. You have to learn to live without the energy that the crowd brings to the stadiums in IPL,” Buttler said.

    “Pressure and excitement is still there but they are not visible. Certain times you have to raise your energy and intensity, which the crowd used to generate earlier.”

    Rajasthan Royals will open their IPL campaign against Punjab Kings in Mumbai on Monday.

  • Shivam Dube eager to learn from Kumar Sangakkara, Ben Stokes at Rajasthan Royals

    After spending two seasons at Royal Challengers Bangalore, Indian all-rounder Shivam Dube has shifted to the inaugural IPL champions – the Rajasthan Royals.
    Dube, a 27-year-old all-rounder, was bought by Royals for Rs. 4.4 Crore at the last IPL players auction. The Mumbai born cricketer is gearing up for the new challenge and looking forward to learning from the likes of Kumar Sangakkara, who has been appointed as the Royals’ Director of Cricket, and star all-rounder Ben Stokes.It feels really good to be part of the Rajasthan Royals. I am really excited to play alongside Sanju Samson. He is one of my very good friends in the Indian cricket team. I know him really well. Our side looks strong and I am sure we will lift the trophy this time,” Dube told Timesofindia.com in an exclusive interview.
    “I learnt a lot at RCB. The experience was huge. Virat has a lot of experience. He is one of the best cricketers in the world. He is currently at the highest level of cricket. I have learnt a lot from him,” Dube, who played two seasons of the IPL for RCB further said.

  • IPL 2021: David Miller on his way to link up with Rajasthan Royals squad in Mumbai

    By ANI
    NEW DELHI: South Africa opening batsman David Miller is on his way to link up with the Rajasthan Royals squad in Mumbai ahead of the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021.

    Miller posted a photo of himself on Twitter on Monday and he captioned the post as: “Good start to April with #PROTEAS now off to India @rajasthanroyals.”

    Good start to April with #PROTEAS now off to India @rajasthanroyals pic.twitter.com/a1FupdyZNP
    — David Miller (@DavidMillerSA12) April 5, 2021

    Rajasthan Royals will play their first match on April 12 against Punjab Kings.

    The left-handed batsman was seen in action in the first two ODIs against Pakistan, in which he managed to score 100 runs, going past the 50-run mark in both the ODIs.

    Cricket South Africa (CSA) had agreed to release all IPL-bound players before the third ODI and as a result, the likes of Miller, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje will be missing the last ODI and three-match T20I series against Pakistan.

    On Sunday, BCCI president Sourav Ganguly had also confirmed that everything will go on as per schedule in the upcoming IPL 2021. His confirmation came after it was announced that Maharashtra would be entering weekend lockdown from Friday 8 pm to Monday 7 pm to curb the spread of Covid-19.

    “Everything will go on as per schedule,” Ganguly told ANI. Wankhede Stadium is set to host 10 IPL games this season from April 10-25.

    The first match at the Mumbai stadium is slated to be played on April 10 between Delhi Capitals and Chennai Super Kings.

    Four franchises — Delhi Capitals, Mumbai Indians, Punjab Kings, and Rajasthan Royals have set up their base in Mumbai as of now. The fifth franchise Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) is also based in Mumbai currently, but they will soon move to Chennai to play their first match against SunRisers Hyderabad on April 11.

    The BCCI is also thinking of players’ vaccination ahead of the IPL with BCCI vice president Rajeev Shukla saying that the board will get in touch with the Health Ministry for players’ vaccination.

    “In order to cope with this coronavirus rise, I think the only solution is to get vaccinated. BCCI is also thinking on those lines that players should be vaccinated. Nobody knows when coronavirus is going to end and you can’t give a deadline that by this time frame, it will not be there so players can play easily. So, I think now will have to think over that. Vaccination should be done for the players also,” Shukla told ANI.

    When asked if BCCI has written to the Health Ministry regarding players’ vaccination, Shukla said the BCCI is mulling over the idea and they will definitely get in touch with the ministry that players should be vaccinated. 

  • Rajasthan Royals launch jersey via 3D show in Jaipur

    By IANS
    JAIPUR: Rajasthan Royals (RR) launched their Indian Premier League 2021 season jersey through a 3D projection and light show at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur. The show was broadcast live from the stadium to fans around the world and to RR players in their bio-bubble in Mumbai.

    RR, champions in the inaugural edition in 2008, will miss playing at their home venue in Jaipur once again after the BCCI picked just six host venues for this season and also ensured that no team gets to play at home.

    The audio-visual show, depicting the stadium, the city of Jaipur, Rajasthani culture and landscape, was held in partnership with Red Bull.

    “The show began with Sawai Mansingh Stadium being lit up, from the pitch to the stands. The limelight was then placed on a screen set up especially for the live show where a video montage of the stadium, city and Rajasthan landscape were interspersed with high-speed action shots of Red Bull vehicles and events. The Royals players were 3D projected on the screen, wearing the jersey for the new season, giving fans a first-ever look at the pink and blue jersey they will wear in (the) 2021 (season),” said a statement from the team.

    RR’s latest buy, South African all-rounder Chris Morris praised the jersey.

    “Unbelievable reveal of the new jersey. From 2015 till now the jersey has changed a lot since the last time I played for Royals, and it is a beautiful jersey. I’m excited to be a part of this team again and proud that the (RR) foundation is the main driver behind the design,” the Proteas all-rounder, who was the most expensive buy ever in IPL history, was quoted as saying in the statement.

    Morris was bought for Rs 16.25 crore at this season’s mini-auction.

    Another RR all-rounder, Riyan Parag said: “Last year, Rajasthan Royals team was wowed witnessing Dani Roman (professional skydiver and base jumper) fly down to the beachside of our hotel in Dubai to reveal and hand over the IPL 2020 team jerseys. This year, another epic jersey reveal. We look forward to making our fans proud this season.”

    The franchise statement described the jersey for the new season as, “eye catching and socially powered”.

    “Consisting of four unique and special elements which serve as the Royals’ bastion of making a social difference through cricket, the jersey is dedicated to how the team has been working with empowered women through their Royal Rajasthan Foundation and impacting the lives of millions of women in their home state of Rajasthan,” the statement said.”Whether it is planting 14,000 ‘Khejri’ trees to raise groundwater levels, harnessing and cultivating the unique creativity and talent of women to weave rugs, addressing and providing help to women dealing with less talked-about issues such as mental health and menstruation these special elements on the carefully curated jersey mean more to the Royals than just being an item of knitted clothing.”

  • South Africa’s Morris becomes most expensive IPL auction purchase, goes to RR for 16.25 crore

    By ANI
    CHENNAI: South African all-rounder Chris Morris on Thursday became the most expensive player at an IPL auction after he was bought by Rajasthan Royals for Rs 16.25 crore.

    At the ongoing mini-auction of the Indian Premier League (IPL) Morris entered with a base price of Rs 75 lakh. Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) both showed interest before Rajasthan Royals made a belated entry after RCB pulled out at Rs 10 crore.

    Bidding continued between Mumbai Indians and Rajasthan Royals and the South African all-rounder was finally sold to the Royals.

    IN PIC | Chris Morris to Glenn Maxwell, check out the cricketers who walked away with bank-breaking deals in IPL Player Auction 2021

    The fee smashed the record Rs 16 crore paid for Yuvraj Singh by Delhi Daredevils in 2015.

    India all-rounder Shivam Dube was also picked by Rajasthan Royals for Rs 4.4 crore during the auction while England batsman Dawid Malan was bought by Punjab Kings for Rs 1.5 crore.

    Also, Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan was picked up by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) while England’s all-rounder Moeen Ali was picked by Chennai Super Kings (CSK) for Rs 7 crore.

    Follow IPL Player Auction 2021 Live here

    Shakib had his base price as Rs 2 crore, but both KKR and Punjab Kings made bids for him, and in the end, the Bangladesh all-rounder was sold to KKR for Rs 3.2 crore. All-rounder Kedar Jadhav went unsold in the auction as of now.

    Earlier, Australia all-rounder Glenn Maxwell was picked up by Royal Challengers Bangalore for Rs 14.25 crore. He had his base price as Rs 2 crore, but a bidding war unfolded between RCB and Chennai Super Kings.

    Karun Nair who had his base price as Rs 50 lakh did not find any takers and he went unsold quite early in the auction. England batters Alex Hales and Jason Roy who had their base price as Rs 1.5 crore and Rs 2 crore respectively also did not find any takers and he also went unsold.

    The IPL “mini-auction” this year is witnessing 291 players going under the hammer as England pacer Mark Wood withdrew from the auction at the end moment.

    All these cricketers have been shortlisted by the eight franchises. A total of 164 Indian players, 125 overseas players, and 3 players from associate nations are up for grabs in the mini-auction.

  • Skipper Steve Smith’s contract not renewed by Rajasthan Royals ahead of IPL 2021

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Rajasthan Royals have decided against renewing the contract of their high-profile captain Steve Smith ahead of the 14th Indian Premier League this year.

    Under Smith’s captaincy, the inaugural edition champions RR finished last in the last IPL in the UAE, where the star Australian batsman played all the 14 league matches and scored 311 runs at a strike rate of 131.

    ALSO READ| Rajasthan Royals needs a new skipper for IPL 2021, feels Aakash Chopra

    This included three half-centuries, but his contribution as a leader came under the scanner after the team’s forgettable performance. “His contract was up in October 2020, not being renewed,” a franchise source told PTI.

    Ahead of the 2018 IPL, Smith was the only player retained by the Royals for Rs 12.5 crore. The same year, the Royals returned from a two-year suspension and appointed Smith as the captain. However, he stepped down from the position in the wake of the ball-tampering scandal in South Africa ahead of the lucrative league.

    Smith recently drew flak for his underwhelming performance in the series against India.

  • Rajasthan Royals needs a new skipper for IPL 2021, feels Aakash Chopra

    By ANI
    MUMBAI: Ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) retention process, former India batsman Aakash Chopra feels former champions Rajasthan Royals should enter the tournament under the leadership of a new skipper.

    Australian batting mainstay Steve Smith led the Royals in last year’s IPL. The Rajasthan based side had a topsy-turvy ride in the showpiece event. The Royals were looking good after England’s star all-rounder Ben Stokes made a return, but still finished the league at the bottom of the table.

    Chopra feels a new captain should be on the priority list of the Royals as the team has failed to deliver. The former batsman also listed out a few names which the side must retain ahead of the auction. “On paper, Rajasthan Royals feels like the one of the most complete teams in the IPL, but on the field, the team has failed to impress even its staunch supporters,” Chopra said on Star Sports show ‘IPL: Retention Special’.

    “Though RR had something to cheer about in Rahul Tewatia and Riyan Parag last season, they still finished at the bottom of the table. I feel the team needs a new leader and that has to be at the top of the priority list next season. I think the team should not release their current young talents such as Akash Singh, Mahipal Lomror, Mayank Markande, Anuj Rawat, and Kartik Tyagi,” he further said.

    With the mini-auction ahead of the 14th edition of the IPL inching closer, franchises looking to retain players were asked to complete the process by Wednesday. Catch the ‘IPL: Retention Special’ today at 6PM exclusively on Star Sports Network.

    Indian opener Rohit Sharma led Mumbai Indians to their fifth IPL title last year and played a captain’s knock in the final against Delhi Capitals. Chopra feels Mumbai Indians have checked all boxes as the defending champions are the most potent sides in the league.

    “Coming to the defending champions Mumbai Indians, they currently possess the dream squad. There are a lot of highly talented players who are almost like-for-like replacements on the bench. Now, with the possible return of Lasith Malinga, the team could be less experimental with the overseas players,” Chopra said.

  • Gautam Gambhir Turns Nostalgic as Skipper Returns to Kolkata

    Kolkata skipper Dinesh Karthik will face a big test when a struggling KKR lock horns with a resurgent Delhi Daredevils, led by double title winning former KKR skipper Gambhir.

    After back-to-back defeats, Karthik-led KKR will be desperate for a revival, while Delhi will hope to continue their momentum after snapping a two-match losing streak in style against Mumbai Indians.

    Kolkata had made a winning start to their campaign against Royals Challenger Bangalore but successive defeats to Chennai Super Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad in the next two matches have put them in a spot of bother.

    Delhi, on the other hand, lost to Kings XI Punjab in their opener and then went down against Rajasthan Royals in a rain-hit match. But the Gambhir-led side bounced back in style against Mumbai with Jason Roy smashing an unbeaten 91 in his debut match for DD.

    DD’s Kolkata leg fixture means their Team India speedster Mohammed Shami is all set to return to his home town for the first time after his wife had accused him of infidelity and domestic abuse last month a controversy that had hogged the headlines.