Rajasthan Royals Struggle With Close Chases and Bowling Woes in IPL 2025

Rajasthan Royals (RR) have endured a frustrating IPL 2025 campaign, particularly while chasing targets. They have lost eight out of nine matches batting second, with five of those defeats coming by margins of 11 runs or fewer. Despite being in strong positions during at least four of those chases—and favorites in one with five overs left—they have repeatedly failed to close out games. Notably, only two of their targets this season have been below 200, with none under 180, placing consistent pressure on their batters.

Head coach Rahul Dravid acknowledged that while the middle and lower-middle order has struggled to finish games, the bowling unit shares equal, if not greater, responsibility for their losses. “We’ve probably given 15-20 runs extra with the ball,” Dravid said. “It wasn’t a 220 wicket today, it was more like 195-200.” He pointed to a lack of both wicket-taking ability and run containment from the bowlers, which has left the batters chasing daunting totals game after game.

Despite the close defeats, Dravid remains confident in the team’s core, especially the Indian middle-order trio of Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, and Sanju Samson, praising their performances throughout the season. However, he hinted at changes in the bowling department ahead of IPL 2026, emphasizing the need to improve fielding and death-over execution. “You can’t lose all five close matches,” Dravid added, reflecting on the fine margins that have defined RR’s underwhelming season.

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