Which IPL team is the most like Arsenal FC?
The new Premier League season got underway last week, with most teams having laid down the marker as to how they want to approach the season and the way in which they want to play their football.
Arsenal FC, one of the biggest contenders for the title over the last couple of seasons, too got their new campaign underway with a fine 2-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday (August 17).
Comparisons of Premier League teams with their counterparts in the Indian Premier League - the cash-rich cricket tournament - are rife, and it is only right that we name the side most similar to Arsenal in the latter: Rajasthan Royals (RR).
RR, who won the IPL in its inaugural edition in 2008, have been one of the most dominant forces in the tournament ever since but failed to recreate their heroics. They have often reached the last stage but failed at its cusp.
Arsenal too, won the Premier League last in 2004, but have failed to add any more titles to their cabinet. They came excruciatingly close to doing so in both 2022-23 and '23-24, only to fluff their chances against eventual winners Manchester City.
RR, for their part, entered the playoffs of the IPL in the 2024 edition by virtue of coming third in the league phase with 17 points but were beaten by eventual runners-up Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Qualifier 2 to get knocked out.
Both these teams seem to promise a lot but fail to deliver at the right stage for myriad reasons, be it the pressure of the occasion or the lack of the right players for the right stage. Yet, the similarities between them are profound.
Arsenal and Rajasthan Royals have a lot of similarities
The biggest similarity between Arsenal and RR is that of the philosophy they imbibe: creating players of their own and not purchasing big-name stars. They have both benefitted from this way of thinking over the years.
These teams have also seen stable leadership for long periods of time, which allowed the players to express themselves to their full potential quite comfortably without being bogged down by the pressure.
Be it the Arsene Wenger era at Arsenal from 1996 to 2018 or the late Shane Warne's at RR, first as captain and then as coach, followed by Rahul Dravid and now taken up by Sri Lankan legend Kumar Sangakkara.
Both these teams also have the refreshing view of supporting and backing their players to the hilt no matter what, and this more often than not pays off given that the latter feel comfortable inside their skin and deliver the goods.
The culture in the dressing room of both teams is rejuvenating and extremely positive, which allows players to breathe easily and soak in the pressure comfortably without being harassed. There is no toxicity to speak of at all.
Both teams have had similar results over the years
It is interesting to note that both these teams have had similar results over the years. Neither have Arsenal won the Premier League since their unbeaten 2003-04 season, nor have RR added more titles to their name since they first won the IPL in 2008.
The Gunners went through a period of immense decline after legendary manager Wenger left the club, but with the arrival of former captain Mikel Arteta in the top job, they have revived themselves enough to push for the title over the last couple of seasons.
Although they had to be satisfied with the runners-up medal in the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons of the Premier League, one can sense that the club is undergoing transition and should be able to win a title soon.
RR too seem to have regained their mojo after a brief lull, and under new head coach Kumar Sangakkara, seem to be climbing up the stairs of the IPL. They have made the playoffs on five occasions after having last won the title in 2008.
They came painfully close to winning it again in 2022, only to be beaten by Gujarat Titans in the final, and as mentioned above, were not allowed to advance to the final in the 2024 edition by Sunrisers Hyderabad.