Rajasthan Royals’ batting succumbed under pressure while pursuing 220 runs against Punjab Kings, stumbling in a run chase for the fifth time in Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, but head coach Rahul Dravid felt the bowlers shared the burden of the side’s wretched run this season.
“It’s been one of those seasons where we always feel that we probably gave 15-20 runs extra. If we look at the season, bowling has not been up to the mark. Neither in taking wickets nor in stopping runs. We’ve chased nearly 200 every game, even then we’ve managed to get close.
“So, we need to work on that next season. A bit on the fielding too. But that’s the tournament. At times you see and say you’ve won just three games but we also need to see that we’ve been close quite a few times. We need to win those games, too, this is not an excuse,” Dravid said after his side fell 10 runs short of 220 runs.
Shimron Hetmyer has come under fire this season, having scored just 220 runs in 12 innings at an average of 20.
“Hettie at the back end, maybe missed out this season, which was a bit tough on us. But that can happen. I mean, that’s the game, right? He’s done so well for us in that role in the past three seasons. That’s the nature of the game. I don’t really think we felt the need to tweak it [batting order] too much,” Dravid said.
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Dravid added that his side’s young batting core will improve with time and will come back stronger next year.
“We feel that we were close in all the games, we were getting into good positions, but just not able to cross the line. Maybe with a few changes next year and a little bit of luck maybe that might change.
I think our players will be a little bit more experienced one year down the line as well. All these guys are doing well. [Yashasvi] Jaiswal, Sanju [Samson], Riyan [Parag] are already playing for India. They will play more in the future and learn. [Dhruv] Jurel too. Vaibhav will play under-19 games. I think through the year that tough international cricket will make them even better by the next IPL,” Dravid said.
Punjab Kings spin bowling coach Sunil Doshi praised Harpreet Brar whose three wickets allowed the side to rein the opposition in despite conceding 89 runs in the PowerPlay.
“Brar has been consistent throughout the season. Last year also we saw how he bowled. Time and again, he’s proven himself when he has had the opportunity. He was there to perform and got the wickets for us,” Doshi said.
Brar, a left-arm orthodox bowler, halted RR in its tracks with the wickets of left-handed batters Yashasvi Jaiswal and Vaibhav Suryavanshi – an unfavourable matchup according to modern T20 convention.
But Doshi said stats seldom confine a player’s ability to make an impact in a game.
“The numbers are there to see for the matchups. But they don’t prove that the bowler cannot deliver [against certain types of batters]. The matchups will always be there and the bowlers will still come back and deliver. That was what our bowlers showed,” Doshi said.
He also allayed any concerns around Shreyas Iyer suffering an injury after the PBKS captain was subbed out in the second innings.
“It was just a niggle when he was batting. That’s it.”