Rajasthan eye return to the top as Dravid returns

Bengaluru: Three months after guiding India to a T20 World Cup victory in Barbados, Rahul Dravid shot out a statement in September 2024, saying: “I am pleased to be returning to the franchise I have called ‘home’ for a number of years in the past.”

Dravid wasn’t referring to his hometown-based Royal Challengers Bengaluru, though! Dravid was referring to the Rajasthan Royals - a side he had played for, led to the Champions League T20 final in 2013 and mentored subsequently - after coming on board as their coach from the ensuing season. 

In all those capacities, Dravid was a vaunted statesman, but his latest avatar is perhaps the best use of his collective acumen.

While he eventually cracked the code of bringing together big egos with the Indian team, Royals don't have too many big names to forcefully integrate. In a sense, this squad - while older - does have the essence of those Indian Under-19 sides he guided so proficiently all those many years ago. Difference being, Dravid has at his disposal some quality foreign talent to seal the domestic gaps. 

That might sound a bit peculiar given the common style of finding great foreign talent and supplementing them with domestic resources, but then again, this has been Rajasthan’s way of operating since their triumph in the inaugural edition in 2008. 

Right off the bat, though, the team will have to contend with a niggle since skipper Sanju Samson is ruled out for ‘three games’ due to an injury. They have looked in the direction of 23-year-old Riyan Parag to lead the side initially, though, since Samson will be available purely as a batter.  

Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel and Shimron Hetmyer add more meat but that Jos Buttler-sized void is apparent. 

As an offset, Rajasthan have one of the more impressive bowling attacks with their spin bouquet possessing plenty of fizz, while their pacers - Jofra Archer in particular - will make playing Rajasthan at home a prickly proposition.

Oh, and let’s see how Dravid goes about 13-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi!

Mat: 222; Won: 110; Lost: 106; NR: 3; W%: 49.54. 

Highest total: 226/6 vs Kings XI Punjab (Sharjah, September 27, 2020)

Lowest total: 58/10 vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru (Cape Town, April 18, 2009)

Best finish: Champions: 2008.  

SQUAD: Sanju Samson (capt), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Shimron Hetmyer, Sandeep Sharma, Jofra Archer, Wainindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Akash Madhwal, Kumar Kartikeya Singh, Nitish Rana, Tushar Deshpande, Shubham Dubey, Yudhvir Charak, Fazal Farooqi, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Kwena Maphaka, Kunal Rathore, Ashok Sharma.