Rajasthan Royals season preview: Part 2 - strategy and playing XI
Shane Watson
The IPL server is up and running. Rajasthan Royals play their first match against the feisty Sunrisers tomorrow, in the first of many double headers the IPL will be serving on its platter. In Part 1 of the Season Preview, we saw the changes and the constants in the team, the auction picks, and a fantasy cricket tip or two thrown towards the end.
In this article, we will be looking at the possible strategies that the team might employ in the coming season, and what their playing XI could be. Tough propositions both, as the team will have Dravid at the helm and the Royals are known to spring in more than a few surprises in all previous seasons. Worth a shot, nevertheless.
History
Starting with a small peek into the team’s history. The Royals’ were the winners of the inaugural IPL. Though they were the “weakest” team on paper, they had the inspirational Shane Warne as their captain. It was Warne who cultivated the Rajasthan Royals culture of backing the young guns, and not relying on T20 superstars to see your team through.
The momentum of the first season was squashed in the subsequent seasons, as they finished a lowly 6th and 7th in the 2009 and 2010 seasons. Most other teams were flexing their muscles (financial and brawns) and Rajasthan’s model of cricket couldn’t quite survive the blitzkrieg. As the IPL juggernaut moved to the 2011 season, Rahul Dravid happened to the Royals.
RCB decided on moving on from the Bengaluru boy as they decided on not retaining him. The Royals saw an opportunity and why would they let it amiss. Shane Warne was still the captain, in his final season. The Royals’ finished 6th in the 10 team tournament.
Dravid took over the captaincy from the next season, though it didn’t lead to much change of fortunes. The Royals finished 7th in the 9 team tournament. But, one could sense that the winds were changing. The Royals were playing innovative, modest brand of cricket which had caught the fancy of quite a few cricket enthusiasts. 2013 was the year when the model was going to reap dividends.
The Royals finished 3rd in the group stages of the 2013 IPL season in what could be regarded as one of the best, consistent performances by a team through the group stages of any season of IPL. It wasn’t just the number of wins or losses, it was the way they went about it; it was the way Dravid led his team, and the way the team responded in affirmative to his ways (barring a couple of mischievous players). They couldn’t quite make it to the finals, but the Royals’ would be extremely proud of what they achieved over the last season.
Strategic Plan
Or should we call it the Dravid Cricket Manual? The Rajasthan Royals’ model in the first 4-5 seasons was based on entrusting their young guns with key roles and having them play around the likes of Watson. Dravid took the model, petted, tweaked and molded it into the near perfect strategy in the 2013 season.
The Royals added James Faulkner into their squad last year, who complemented them perfectly. They now had an invaluable death bowler and a lower order hitter, both of which they were found wanting in, in the previous seasons. He was a key factor in their successful run to the qualifiers. So were Rahane, Binny, Samson and Hodge in equal measures.
Dravid perfected the “horses for courses” adage with his squad. There wasn’t a single case of two consecutive games following the same pattern. Be it changes in the team altogether, or changes in batting line-up, changes in bowling strategies, field positions; Dravid was easily the most proactive captain last season. The opposition was never given a chance to second guess on what was coming at them.