The Stardust Royal Legacy of the Rajasthan Royals

The Stardust Royal Legacy of the Rajasthan Royals: When every franchisee was collecting the already made stars to play in the IPL, Rajasthan Royals were searching for cricketers with extra ordinary talent to be recognized polishing them into dazzling diamonds. RR has always given the importance to talent which the players possess rather than the reputations they carry. The team management has been searching unearthing talent and picking non-flashy players and have transformed them with exposure and experience of playing with and under some of the wisest cricketing brains in Shane Warne and Rahul Dravid. When we look at the team on paper, it’s filled with unknown names and personalities who are uncapped players both from India and overseas. The papers will only show the names which are unheard and unnoticed by many but the on field performances will surprise everyone and this makes them the dark horses of the IPL.

In the first edition of IPL, everyone believed RR to be the weakest of all the teams. This was because of the never heard names and their unknown performing abilities. But to everyone’s surprise this ‘so called weak team’ gradually earned the ‘Dark Horse’ title and eventually ended up winning the tournament magnificently. It was under the captaincy of the Australian legend Shane Warne that the team could build its legacy and transform young talented cricketers into experienced players and gave them well the deserved limelight from all over the world.

RR has been such a team where age acts as no barrier to be a part of the team. On the contrary it encourages such players and gives them an opportunity to show case their talent. Pravin Tambe is one such player who has been given the golden chance of playing for Royals at the age of 41. RR purchases players at cut-throat prices and ensures that they get the return of their talent and backs them profusely and mend them stars of their own kind.

The team management plays a huge role in the making the players capable of achieving their dreams. They put the right player at the right place and making them do the right job for the team which ends up in a positive way for both the players as well as the team. They analyse the situation like a hawk’s eye and makes decisions favorable to the situation. A well-balanced and successful team tends to do the things in a considerable fashion which might be different to others but effective for the team.

Rajasthan has been successful in doing this and the players feel at ease with the jobs and responsibilities given to them by the Captain and the Coaches. The coach, Paddy Upton has been a strong support for every player and backs each one of them and ensures that he is there for the team at all times. Along with Upton, Rahul Dravid Mentors the team and as we all know he believes in hard work and stability whatever the format of the game is.

Dravid believes in resilience in every player and tends to mentor the youngsters and guide them in such a way that they end up inducing the thought process. When we look at Ajinkya Rahane, we can see the shadow of Rahul Dravid following him and his performances reflect his legendary trait and soul. It has been the same case with Sanju Samson. The young Keralite shows traits of Rahul Dravid and has been successful in becoming an upcoming player over the years under his mentorship.

Young Deepak Hooda who has come up with all-round performances in this season has impressed everyone and has given him even more confidence. Chris Morris has been another emerging talent for RR. He has taken 13 wickets in 11 matches and proved to be a good all-rounder by contributing 76 runs. Dhaval Kulkarni and Stuart Binny are among many who have been uplifted by the Royals and had been backed for their performances throughout.

Under the captaincy of Steve Smith, RR were able to secure a place in the play offs this season. Smith, himself has evolved as a cricketer, as a captain and as a fielder while playing with the Royals. Along with a supportive mentor and an intelligent coach, a positive captain is an essential for any team. Smith has proved himself as a good captain and has taken wise decisions for the team on the field. Royals have not only helped Smith alone, Shane Watson who was inconsistent on securing a place in the Australian Team, has become a permanent player for them after his performances for Rajasthan Royals since 2008. Brag Hogg, the China-man bowler, has gained a new set of reputation after playing with this franchisee. The 44-year-old veteran feels young when he has the ball in his hand.

After facing the issues of Spot-Fixing, the team has come together and are closer to each other like a rejuvenated unity and intense never-look-back approach and has pulled off stupendous match winning moments. The fans were backing their players during the tough time and their support and cheering has helped Royals to have a strong fan-base in each season. The crowd at Sawai Mansingh Stadium is another bonus for the team. It backs the players completely and gives them a boost of energy every time they feel a low point in the game. Not only are the fans at Rajasthan supportive, but also at the Motera Stadium in Ahmadabad and Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai. Ahmadabad and Mumbai were lucky to have RR as their home team this season and the team was happy to see their support every time they played there.

It has always been a pleasure to see the lesser known cricketers get exposure and play under the watchful eyes of Rahul Dravid but it has been equally sad to not see them win again after 2008. The Royals from Rajasthan have shown potential each year and has given the world a few new names every season. Rajasthan Royals have created their legacy and will continue to do so in future. The dark horses of the IPL are the finest of all and the love for them will not reduce even if they don’t reach the finals. Every fan wishes to see the Royals back in their Royal Blue Jerseys and play fearless cricket with the intentions of winning the cup the next time they step on the field.

Rahul Dravid recently said, you might well support any team, but Rajasthan Roayls is the second team for everyone. After that all I have to say is HALLA BOL!