IPL 2023: Rajasthan Royals Season Review – Impressive start, miserable finish
The 16th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) brought a new era for the Sanju Samson-led Rajasthan Royals. After reaching the final of the cash-rich league in 2022, Rajasthan had their eyes set on the coveted title in 2023.
Roping in many big names like Jason Holder and Joe Root in the auction, the side looked stronger than ever coming into the tournament. However, one major miss for them was Indian pacer Prasidh Krishna, who missed the competition due to an injury.
Season record
Rajasthan Royals competed in 14 games in the IPL 2023. Missing out on the knockout stages of the tournament, Rajasthan finished in fifth place in the standings with seven wins and as many losses.
What went right?
The biggest positive for Rajasthan in the IPL 2023 was the performance of the Indian youngster, Yashasvi Jaiswal. The 21-year-old was in a league of his own in the tournament and was also one of the frontrunners for the IPL orange cap.
Jaiswal was on the top of his game in almost every match and took the attack straight to the opposition right from the start of the game. Scoring multiple half-centuries and a ton, Jaiswal proved to be a crucial player for Rajasthan Royals. There was also Dhruv Jurel, whose incredible hitting ability made a case for him to be a future star in IPL.
What went wrong?
One negative aspect of the season for Rajasthan was their bowling prowess in the death overs. It was well established that missing the services of Prasidh Krishna was going to cost them, and that is exactly what happened. With Boult bowling most of his overs in the powerplay, the responsibility fell onto the shoulders of Sandeep Sharma, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Sen, and Kuldip Yadav. Furthermore, Riyan Parag’s dwindling returns also left the Royals in a spot of bother at times.
Additionally, a mix of experienced and inexperienced bowlers proved to be costly for Rajasthan as they dropped many important points by losing the game in the death overs, against Sunrisers Hyderabad and Mumbai Indians are examples of the same.
Highest run-getter
Yashasvi Jaiswal was the highest run-getter for the side in the tournament. Scoring 625 runs in 14 matches, Jaiswal played at an average of 48.08 runs and a strike rate of 163.61. The 21-year-old hit five half-centuries and one century as well.
Highest wicket-taker
Yuzvendra Chahal was the highest wicket-taker for Rajasthan in 2023, taking 21 wickets in 14 matches at an average of 20.57 and an economy of 8.18 runs.
Most memorable moment
The most memorable moment for Rajasthan in the IPL 2023 was the exceptional century that Yashasvi Jaiswal hit against Mumbai Indians. Both sides took each other on in the 42nd game of the tournament, and batting first, Jaiswal hit a magnificent ton, scoring 124 runs in 62 balls. His knock, despite being in vain, helped Rajasthan post 212 runs on the board in the first innings.
