IPL 2022: RR season review
Not many anticipated Rajasthan Royals to make it into the top four of the IPL 2022 after looking at their performances in the past few seasons. But Sanju Samson led his team brilliantly as they won all their crucial fixtures of the league stage and playoff stage, except for the Finals, which they lost against the Gujarat Titans.
Despite their defeat, the way in which RR turned things around was intriguing as they made their way into the finals for the first time since the inaugural season of the cash-rich event. The Royals won half the war in the auctions, as the management’s idea of spending the majority of the money on assembling a first eleven full of experienced players paid well.
It was only a matter of execution that management and coaching staff had to focus their energy on after having established a strong playing combination. Before entering the playoffs, the Royals had a pretty good season, winning nine of their 14 games and finishing second in the points table with a strong NRR. Sanju Samson was one of the reasons behind the team’s success as his leadership qualities and calm and composure finally paid off.
Jos Buttler scored 863 runs in the IPL 2022, making him not just the top run-scorer but also one of the most impactful players in the competition. His ferocious starts propelled the Royals to a series of triumphs that ended when the hitter lost his touch midway through the tournament. But, in Qualifier 1, he recovered his form with a valiant knock against the Gujarat Titans.
After retaining crucial players, the Royals splurged on two Indian spinners, Ravichandran Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal, and enjoyed the benefits throughout the tournament’s league stages. Chahal, who won the purple cap, grabbed 27 wickets in 17 games this season. He became the first bowler to pick up a hat-trick this season, and he converted that effort into a five-wicket haul, against KKR when he registered his career-best bowling figures of 4-0-40-5.
For the Rajasthan Royals, Ashwin performed not just with the ball but also with the bat. His first season with the Royals was a success as the Tamil Nadu all-rounder showed his worth. No team used Ashwin’s batting skills as effectively as the Rajasthan Royals and he was also pushed up the batting order on multiple occasions. One of the teams with a complete bowling assault was Rajasthan Royals. It was a good mix of seasoned foreign players, Indian pacers and spinners, and emerging youngsters. Though the Royals performed most things correctly, they would like to improve the team for next season. They would expect more from the specialist hitters other than Jos Buttler and Sanju Samson, particularly youngster Riyan Parag.
