Rajasthan Royals’ IPL 2025 campaign came to a halt on Thursday as they slumped to a 100-run defeat against Mumbai Indians in Jaipur. Chasing 218 -- RR never got going and were bundled out for just 117.
This marked their eighth loss in 11 matches. The result confirmed Rajasthan’s elimination from playoff contention.
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They became the second team to bow out of the race this season after Chennai Super Kings. It was a night that once again laid bare the side’s long-standing issues with batting depth and composure under pressure.
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Mumbai were led by Ryan Rickelton and Rohit Sharma’s 116-run opening stand. They posted a total of 217/2. While chasing, Rajasthan's top order crumbled early and the middle order offered little help.
What did Riyan Parag say on Rajasthan Royals' middle-order failures?
After the game, stand-in skipper Riyan Parag acknowledged that repeated failures in the middle order had cost them dearly throughout the season.
“We’ve been getting good starts, but it’s up to the middle order – myself, Dhruv – to step up in the middle overs. When we lose wickets in the powerplay, couldn’t just do it. We still back ourselves that if a similar situation comes in the next game, we should be up for it,” said Parag.
Parag also advised learning from mistakes and take opportunities better in the remaining games.
“A lot of mistakes, a lot of small errors, I think we’ve got to focus on how to not make them again, focus on the good as well. We’ve had a few close matches, so in the next three games... hopefully we can do better,” he added.
Rajasthan’s troubles began before the season even started. Their decision to release experienced names like Jos Buttler and Trent Boult raised eyebrows and they failed to bring in seasoned replacements.
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Injuries didn’t help either. Regular captain Sanju Samson has missed the last four matches with an abdominal injury. This has left the batting unit to rely heavily on less experienced players.
Their campaign has also been defined by narrow defeats. Twice they failed to chase nine runs in the final over -- once against Delhi and again versus Lucknow -- blowing chances to stay alive in the competition.