Powerful Top Order, Experienced Spinners - SWOT Analysis of RR for IPL 2024

Rajasthan Royals will be aiming for their second IPL title in 2024 (Source: x.com)Rajasthan Royals will be aiming for their second IPL title in 2024 (Source: x.com)

The 17th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2024) will start on the 22nd of March, 2024. Before the tournament begins, we at OneCricket are looking deeper into the squads of the ten teams participating in the league. 

Here, we will try to analyse the squad of the first IPL champions, the Rajasthan Royals. 


RR Full Squad for IPL 2024

Batters: Sanju Samson, Jos Buttler, Shimron Hetmyer, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel, Riyan Parag, Kunal Singh Rathore, Rovman Powell, Shubham Dubey, Tom Kohler-Cadmore.

All-rounders: Ravichandran Ashwin, Donovan Ferreira.

Spinners: Yuzvendra Chahal, Adam Zampa, Abid Mushtaq.

Pacers: Kuldeep Sen, Navdeep Saini, Prasidh Krishna, Sandeep Sharma, Avesh Khan, Trent Boult, Nandre Burger.


Strengths of Rajasthan Royals for IPL 2024

A lot of their campaign will depend of the RR Top order (Source: x.com)A lot of their campaign will depend of the RR Top order (Source: x.com)

Powerful top-order

With Jos Buttler, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Sanju Samson at the will top-order, the Rajasthan Royals expect powerful starts in most games. If these three batters stay in rhythm during the tournament, the Royals will cause a great headache to all the other teams. Each of these batters can win a game for the team on their day, and if all of them stay in touch, then in most games, the Royals will emerge as the victors. 

Quality in the spin department

Ravichandran Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal and Adam Zampa will oversee the Royals' spin department. All these bowlers have proved their mettle in the T20 format over the years. They can be efficient in the middle-overs and tilt the balance of any game in their favour. The batters of the other teams will have to be really careful while playing out these three spinners. 


Weaknesses of Rajasthan Royals for IPL 2024

Sanju Samson needs to step us a lead for RR in IPL 2024 (Source: x.com)Sanju Samson needs to step us a lead for RR in IPL 2024 (Source: x.com)

Sanju Samson, the skipper

Sanju Samson took over the reins of Rajasthan Royals in 2021. Since then, he has led the team in three IPLs and is yet to win his maiden title as their skipper. If we look deeper into these captaincy records, we find he has led them in 45 matches and won 22. His win percentage is that of 48.89%.

The records show that he has not been as efficient as the team captain. Besides, his batting form is also affected due to the added responsibilities. His Runs Per Innings while being the team captain is 28.97, and he also failed to leave the impact that he used to while being just a player. Thus, his batting form and inability to lead the team efficiently are among the Royals' weaknesses. 

Lack of economical pace bowlers

Rajasthan Royals have quality experience and pace in Trent Boult. He will also have Nandre Burger, who has recently proved himself in the international arena. However, the Royals can only use one of these bowlers in the playing XI due to the overseas restrictions of the IPL. 

Now, leaving these two out, if we look at the other pacers, we get - Avesh Khan, Navdeep Saini, Kuldeep Sen, and Prasidh Krishna. All these bowlers have a history of leaking runs in various stages of the game. Their inability to control the scoring rate might be a weakness for the team in the crunch situations. 


Opportunity for Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2024

Rajasthan Royals have not won the title after the inaugural season in 2008 (Source: x.com)Rajasthan Royals have not won the title after the inaugural season in 2008 (Source: x.com)

Re-establishing themselves as a power to recognise with in IPL 

Sanju Samson and his men will have a chance to win the IPL title after 16 long years. Reclaiming the title will re-establish them as one of the stronger units in the tournament. The first-ever champions of the IPL will look to win their second title in this edition. 

Lack of depth in the all-rounder department

The Royals have a lack of all-rounders in their squad. Due to this, the team will have to face issues with flexibility and depth in their playing XI. 

The scarcity of players who can adjust their roles as per the need of the hour will be a threat for the team. 


Threat for Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2024

Powerful yet inconsistent middle-order

The Royals already had Shimron Hetmyer as the mainstay in the middle-order. This year, they will have Rovman Powell alongside him. These two batters can be dangerous and change the complexion of any game with their big hitting. But both these batters struggle to maintain consistency over an extended period. If Powell and Hetmyer struggle with batting form, then a lot will depend on Dhruv Jurel to get them to robust finishes. The pressure of winning games single-handedly might be a burden for the young Jurel and will be a threat for the Royals in the tournament. 

SWOT Analysis of RR for IPL 2024 (Source: x.com)SWOT Analysis of RR for IPL 2024 (Source: x.com)


Predicted XI of RR for their first match of IPL 2024

Predicted XI of RR for their first match in IPL 2024 (Source: x.com)Predicted XI of RR for their first match in IPL 2024 (Source: x.com)

*Prasidh Krishna has been ruled out of IPL 2024. Kuldeep Sen could get chance in the playing XI. 

Rajasthan Royals' Squad Evaluation

Batting

Experience - 8/10
Power - 8/10
Depth - 7.5/10
Finishing - 7.5/10

Rating - 7.5/10

Bowling

Experience - 8/10
Powerplay Potentital - 8.5/10
Middle-overs Potential - 8.5/10
Death-overs Potential - 6.5/10

Rating - 7.875/10

Overall Rating - 7.67/10


Prediction for Rajasthan Royals in the IPL 2024

The Royals have a lot of talent in their squad. Alongside talented youths, they also have some experienced players in the mix. But, the overall amalgamation of the team looks a bit off-balance. The furthest the Royals are expected to go is till the playoffs of IPL 2024.