“It’s early days, and there are a lot of positives,” he said confidently, brushing off the back-to-back losses.
Photo: ANI
Rajasthan Royals head coach Rahul Dravid isn’t much worried about his team’s dismal outings in the first two matches of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, and remained optimistic of the side’s chances in the tournament as the Royals gear up to take on Chennai Super Kings here on Sunday.
“It’s early days, and there are a lot of positives,” he said confidently, brushing off the back-to-back losses.
Advertisement
Reflecting on the team’s performances so far, he admitted that the Royals haven’t played to their potential yet.
Advertisement
“Against SRH, we probably gave away 25-30 extra runs on a flat wicket. And in the KKR game, we should have scored 25-30 more. But this is just the start. We’re confident about turning things around,” the legendary batter said.
Dravid also shed light on the team management’s decision to promote stand-in skipper Riyan Parag to the No.3 spot, a role that the coach feels is perfectly suited for the homegrown talent.
“Riyan is one of our best batters. We want him facing as many balls as possible. The more time he spends at the crease, the better it is for us. He’s destructive, and he knows he belongs in that position,” he said.
Impressed with Parag’s temperament and tactical awareness as the stand-in skipper, Dravid said that it isn’t easy for any player to take the leadership role, and lead from the front in crunch situations, a role which Dravid feels the 24-year-old has done well.
“It’s not easy to captain a side when the opposition puts up 280 in your very first game. But the calmness he showed was admirable. Against KKR, bringing himself on to bowl in the fifth over — that was a bold but correct decision. He’s learning quickly and adapting well,” Dravid said.
The 52-year-old also dwelled on the diminishing role of all-rounders given the Impact Player rule, while insisting that his side is a well-balanced side, and dismissed talks about the lack of a traditional big-hitting all-rounder.
“To be honest, the all-rounder’s role has diminished. With the Impact Player rule, you can have seven proper bowlers and still extend the batting lineup. Hasaranga went up top, Hetmyer batted as low as No. 8 — we’re getting creative with our options,” he explained.
“I’m really excited about this group. A couple of games haven’t gone our way, but in a long tournament, that happens. Sometimes it’s better to start slow and finish strong — and that’s exactly what we’re aiming for,” he added.
Rahul said that the Royals will assess the conditions before taking a call on their combination for the upcoming match.
“We’ll assess the conditions and take a call. We’ve got options — and we’re not afraid to use them.”
With the Barspara Stadium offering a slower pitch, the Royals might add in an extra spinner to the line-up. And with home fans eagerly waiting for a turnaround in fortunes, a win against CSK could inject fresh momentum into Royals’ campaign.
Advertisement
