Sanju Samson’s Injury And? 3 Reasons Why Rajasthan Royals Crashed Out Of IPL 2025

Jatin

Rajasthan Royals were eliminated from IPL 2025 [Source: @iplt20.com]Rajasthan Royals were eliminated from IPL 2025 [Source: @iplt20.com]

The wheels have officially come off the Rajasthan Royals bus in IPL 2025. A 100-run thumping at the hands of Mumbai Indians in Jaipur was the final nail in the coffin, which confirmed their exit from the playoffs race.

With just 3 wins in 11 games, RR became the second team to be knocked out this season after Chennai Super Kings (CSK). The campaign that once looked promising has now gone up in smoke. While fans are heartbroken, the reasons behind this flop show are loud and clear.

Let’s analyze the top 3 reasons behind Rajasthan Royals elimination from IPL 2025 playoffs race.

1. Poor Retention Strategy And Auction Blunders

Before the season even started, RR made a huge gamble with their purse. Out of INR 120 crore, they spent a massive INR 79 crore retaining Sanju Samson, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Shimron Hetmyer, and Sandeep Sharma. They let go of some of their biggest match-winners like Jos Buttler, Trent Boult, R Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal and Avesh Khan.

Buttler, who’s now smashing it for Gujarat Titans, was the guy who either set the game up in the powerplay or finished it off with ice in his veins. RR badly missed someone like him, calm, experienced and a proven match-winner. They bottled several chases this year and it is no coincidence that those are the kind of games Jos Buttler used to win for them.

Letting go of Chahal was another massive blunder. The highest wicket-taker in IPL history, Chahal has been running riot for Punjab Kings this season. If you have got a match-winning Indian spinner, you don’t let him go. But RR did and paid the price as their spin attack has looked toothless throughout the tournament.

2. Sanju Samson’s Absence Due To Injuries

If there is one player RR simply can’t do without, it is their captain Sanju Samson. But sadly, the skipper spent more time on the treatment table than on the field this season. It all started in February when he fractured his index finger during a T20I vs England.

He missed the first three matches and returned just when RR needed their leader the most. But luck had other plans. While batting against Delhi Capitals in a Super Over thriller, he picked up an abdominal tear and had to retire hurt after scoring a quickfire 31*. That was it as he missed the next four crucial games vs LSG, RCB, GT and MI.

His absence hurt big time. As a batter, he is the glue in that top order. A combo of Sanju, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Vaibhav Suryavanshi at the top could have been lethal. Moreover, with Sanju Samson out, the captaincy went to Riyan Parag and let’s be honest, the pressure showed. The young lad tried but RR needed a wise head to steer the ship in choppy waters. Instead, they were all at sea.

3. A Bowling Attack That Just Didn’t Bite

While teams like KKR, MI and GT went hard at building a deadly bowling core, RR looked short-changed in that department. Why? Because they blew INR 14 crore on Jurel and INR 11 crore on Hetmyer, two players who haven’t quite justified their price tags. That left them with peanuts to build a proper bowling attack.

Sure, they brought in names like Jofra Archer, Wanindu Hasaranga, and Maheesh Theekshana but none of them really delivered. Archer looked sharp only with the new ball, Hasaranga couldn't hold down a spot and Theekshana just went through the motions.

There was no fire, no venom. Even with the Impact Player rule, they failed to cover their bases. The biggest red flag? They didn’t have a proper sixth bowling option. Riyan Parag bowled a few overs, but he is not the guy you turn to when you need a breakthrough. The only team that didn’t have a sixth bowler despite the Impact Player rule was RR.

Conclusion

From poor squad planning to missing their skipper and lacking teeth in the bowling department, RR’s IPL 2025 campaign was doomed by their own doing. It has been a season of “what ifs” and missed tricks. They didn’t just lose matches, they lost the plot. And now, they will be watching the playoffs from the sidelines.

Will they bounce back next year? Only time will tell. But one thing is for sure that they have got a lot of thinking to do before the next mini auction.