5 players RR might release after IPL 2024 exit ft. Rovman Powell
The Rajasthan Royals (RR) suffered a 36-run loss against the SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) in Qualifier 2 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. It all happened on Friday, May 24, at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
The result ended yet another impressive campaign for the Royals, but without lifting a silverware. In 2022, they came close before emerging as a runner-up, followed by a fifth-place finish, and a playoff exit in this season. Certainly, this roster will be remembered as one of the finest RR have assembled due to their consistent performances.
However, there were some players, who underperformed or could not find many chances and are likely to be released by the franchise ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction. Let's check out five of them, who might not be a part of the Royals' fresh squad from the next season:
#1 Donovan Ferreira
When Donovan Ferreira was signed by the Rajasthan Royals in the IPL 2023 auction, there was a lot of excitement about his abilities. His exploits with the bat and usefulness with the ball in the South African limited-overs tournament were much appreciated. However, Ferreira could not appear in any games in that season.
The 25-year-old could feature in only two games in 2024, returning with scores of 1 and 7, which resulted in him getting dropped from the XI. As he could not impress in limited opportunities, the Protea all-rounder will be excluded from RR's plans.
#2 Navdeep Saini
The fast-bowling talent of Navdeep Saini has gone unnoticed in the last few years due to the presence of other skillful fast bowlers in RR's roster. Since the start of IPL 2022, Saini has featured in only four games, picking up six wickets, albeit at an expensive economy of over 12.
In the 2024 season, Saini didn't appear in any of the games, with Avesh Khan, Sandeep Sharma, and Trent Boult already forming the pace battery of the Royals. Surely, the 31-year-old will have to find a new suitor in the mega auction.
#3 Rovman Powell
The Rajasthan-based franchise shelled out over ₹7 crore for securing the services of Rovman Powell in the IPL 2024 auction. However, the West Indies captain could not make his chances count in the pink jersey.
Powell accumulated only 103 runs in nine innings at a dismal average of 17.17, with a top score of 27. In particular, he could be potent enough against SunRisers Hyderabad on two occasions in this season. The league stage witnessed him unable to score 13 off the last over while returning with a dull knock of 6 off 12 in the Qualifier 2.
As a result, Powell is not expected to be retained by the Royals.
#4 Tom Kohler-Cadmore
Much was expected from the experienced, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, who replaced Jos Buttler in the XI. With over 4,500 runs in 194 T20s, TKC could unleash his best for RR; however, the top-order batter underperformed massively.
The Englishman could contribute only 48 runs in three appearances at a disappointing strike rate of 88.89. Especially, he was criticized for his slow knock of 10 off 16 in Qualifier 2, which put pressure on the middle-order. With indifferent performance, TKC will have to do well in other tournaments to fetch an IPL contract in the next auction.
#5 Kuldeep Sen
Much like Navdeep Saini, the stock of rising fast bowler Kuldeep Sen fell gradually as the season progressed. Ahead of the season, RR traded Devdutt Padikkal to acquire Avesh Khan, which resulted in the franchise having an experienced option in the pace department.
Sen has only played in 12 IPL games since 2022 and has picked up 14 wickets. He played in three games this season and had six scalps at an economy of 10.17. With enough fast bowling options, the Royals are not likely to move forward with Sen in the next IPL cycle.