'No point just blaming the batsman' - Dravid on RR's struggles

Rajasthan Royals (RR) have now lost eight out of the nine matches while chasing in IPL 2025. Five of these defeats have been by margins of 11 runs or fewer. In four of these chases, they were well ahead of the opposition. In one, they had to fight back but they were favourites at the start of the last five overs.

However, only two of their targets this IPL have been under 200, and none under 180. Coach Rahul Dravid has said their bowling was equally to blame if not more than the batting.

"It's been a tough one," Dravid said when asked to assess the middle order. "We've got close, but we haven't been able to finish the job. It's been one of those kind of seasons where you always feel with the ball that we probably give 15-20 runs extra and then you've got yourself in some really good positions to win the games, but we haven't been able to finish the job and a little bit around that lower, lower-middle order we just haven't been able to click and get the big shots that we need.

"I mean, it's been five games now where the margins have really one or two hits which you need in that phase, which, we just haven't been able to do. So it's not that we've been losing too many wickets, we're still only five down today, but we just haven't been able to hit those shots.

"There's no point just blaming the batsman. I think with the ball also, to be honest, I didn't think it was a 220 wicket, it was about a 195, 200 wicket, and we gave 20 runs extra. If we look at the numbers, we have probably not been good enough with the ball. Both at taking wickets and controlling runs. We are chasing 200-220 every game."

Dravid suggested it was the bowling department that needed major improvement and hinted at changes before the next year. "Still our batters, especially the openers, have been giving us good starts, but we have been unable to finish the job," Dravid said. "We will have to work on it for the next year. A little bit in the fielding as well. Sometimes you look at a tournament and see only three wins, but if you look at the five close defeats. Not an excuse, but you can't lose all five close matches. We have got good batting. In a year they will improve even more. Perhaps in the bowling, we will have to do something to improve."

Dravid said there was no reason to doubt the ability of the middle order. "This is really a quality middle order," Dravid said. "You've got Riyan (Parag) and Dhruv (Jurel) and then Sanju (Samson) is playing in that middle order today as well, so that's really quality India kind of players with an overseas guy who's also playing international cricket.

"To be fair, all of them had good performances through the season. It's not that they didn't. Riyan played some very good knocks, Dhruv we saw today played a terrific knock, probably 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. That's the nature of the game."