What Went Wrong for Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2025? A Season of Missteps and Missed Opportunities

The Rajasthan Royals (RR), once considered one of the most exciting teams in the Indian Premier League (IPL), endured a forgettable IPL 2025 campaign that ended in disappointment and elimination well before the playoffs. A team that had shown flashes of brilliance in recent seasons, stumbled to a 3–9 record this year, raising critical questions about team strategy, leadership decisions, and auction choices. So, what exactly went wrong for the Royals in IPL 2025

1.The Jos Buttler Blunder: A Costly Release

The most glaring error in hindsight was the franchise’s decision to release Jos Buttler, one of their most consistent performers over the years. Known for his ability to anchor innings and finish games, Buttler had been the backbone of RR’s batting line-up. His absence left a massive void in the top and middle order.

The team opted to retain Shimron Hetmyer, who failed to deliver under pressure. The Royals’ finishing department, once considered reliable, crumbled repeatedly this season. Replacing Buttler with an underperforming Hetmyer turned out to be a strategic failure that haunted them in crunch moments.

2.Captaincy Crisis: Injuries and Inexperience

Sanju Samson, RR’s captain and key batter, missed a major portion of the season due to injuries. His absence created a leadership vacuum and unsettled the team structure. In his place, young all-rounder Riyan Parag was given the reins of captaincy. While Parag showed individual flashes of brilliance, he lacked the experience to lead under pressure in high-stakes matches.

Leadership instability reflected in on-field decisions and inconsistent playing elevens. RR struggled to find a settled combination throughout the season.

3.Inconsistent Batting Core

Despite a promising start from Yashasvi Jaiswal, who continued his rich vein of form, the batting unit lacked depth and consistency. The middle-order was fragile, and the finishers — Dhruv Jurel and Shimron Hetmyer — failed to live up to expectations.

One of the few bright spots came in the form of Vaibhav Suryavanshi, a 14-year-old prodigy who stunned everyone with a blistering century (101 off 38 balls) against Gujarat Titans. While his emergence offers hope for the future, relying on a teenager to rescue the season highlighted the team’s desperation and imbalance.

4.Bowling Breakdown

RR’s bowling unit, which once boasted a well-balanced mix of pace and spin, struggled to find rhythm this year. Jofra Archer, returning from injury, had a poor start — conceding 76 runs in his first game — but improved gradually. Still, over-reliance on Archer exposed the lack of depth in the pace attack, especially after Sandeep Sharma was ruled out due to injury.

The spin department, led by Maheesh Theekshana and Wanindu Hasaranga, failed to provide breakthroughs at crucial junctures. Both lacked consistency, and RR suffered in the middle overs as a result.

5.Auction Miscalculations: The Mega Misfire

The 2025 Mega Auction was another area where RR faltered. They focused heavily on acquiring bowlers while neglecting the need for experienced overseas batters and all-rounders. The imbalance was evident in the playing XI, where Indian batters outnumbered overseas ones, with Hetmyer being the only major overseas name in the batting lineup.

A more well-rounded auction strategy — with emphasis on seasoned finishers and dependable middle-order batters — could have saved their season.

6.Close Matches, Closer Losses

Perhaps the most painful part of RR’s campaign was how close they came in many games, only to falter in the final overs. Highlights of their heartbreaks include:

• Loss to Delhi Capitals in a Super Over after needing just 7 runs in the final over.
• Defeat against Lucknow Super Giants by 2 runs while chasing 7 in the last over.
• A narrow 1-run loss to Kolkata Knight Riders despite having control for most of the match.

These tight defeats highlighted the absence of composure and finishing prowess — something Jos Buttler could have offered.

7.Lessons for the Future

• While the 2025 campaign is one to forget, there are important lessons to carry forward:
• Leadership Stability: Rebuilding around Sanju Samson with a capable vice-captain is crucial.
• Middle-order Strength: Invest in experienced overseas batters and finishers.
• Bowling Reinforcement: Develop bench strength and reliable Indian pacers to avoid overdependence on Archer.
• Auction Strategy: Maintain a balance between youth and experience; do not compromise on match-winners.

The Silver Lining: Vaibhav Suryavanshi

Despite the gloom, the rise of Vaibhav Suryavanshi has given fans a reason to smile. At just 14, his composure and power-hitting indicate that RR may have found a future superstar. The franchise now needs to nurture his talent while rebuilding a cohesive, winning unit around him.

The Rajasthan Royals’ IPL 2025 campaign was marred by injuries, poor auction planning, and questionable team decisions. Releasing Jos Buttler may go down as their biggest mistake, but it was part of a larger pattern of mismanagement. As they look ahead to the mini-auction and IPL 2026, RR must reflect deeply and act decisively to return to their winning ways.

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