The IPL 2025 auction has come to an exciting close, with every franchise making bold moves to assemble formidable squads. From big-name signings to smart budget picks, teams have carefully mixed experienced players with young talent to prepare for the upcoming season. Rajasthan Royals (RR) have emerged with a well-rounded and competitive squad. With a mix of seasoned internationals and promising young talents, RR has strategically strengthened key areas. They have assembled their squad for Indian Premier League IPL 2025, showcasing a mix of strengths and weaknesses.
While the team boasts a strong core of experienced players and exciting young talent, there are a few areas that might raise concerns. As they gear up for the season, the Royals will look to capitalize on their strengths and address any gaps to make a serious push for their 2nd title. Today, we will see the strengths and weaknesses of the RR squads in IPL 2025. So let’s dive into it quickly.
Rajasthan Royals have retained 6 players before the IPL 2025 auction
Rajasthan Royals (RR) has filled all 6 slots in retention before the IPL 2025 auction. They were left with only INR 41 crore in the mega auction and no RTM (Right to Match) card available.
RR’s retained players:-
| PLAYERS’S NAME | PRICE (INR) |
| Sanju Samson | 18 CR. |
| Yashasvi Jaiswal | 18 CR. |
| Riyan Parag | 14 CR. |
| Dhruv Jurel | 14 CR. |
| Shimron Hetmyer | 11 CR. |
| Sandeep Sharma (as uncapped player) | 4 CR. |
Rajasthan Royals have let go of some of their biggest match winners like Jos Buttler, Yuzvendra Chahal, Trent Boult, etc. They had a good squad in IPL 2024 but now, there are some loopholes in the team. We will address this later but let’s now see what is the squad of Rajasthan Royals after the IPL 2025 auction.
IPL 2025 squads of RR:-
Sanju Samson (Rs. 18 crore), Yashasvi Jaiswal (Rs. 18 crore), Riyan Parag (Rs. 14 crore), Dhruv Jurel (Rs. 14 crore), Shimron Hetmyer (Rs. 11 crore) and Sandeep Sharma (Rs. 4 crore), Jofra Archer (Rs. 12.50 crore), Maheesh Theekshana (Rs. 4.4 crore), Wanindu Hasaranga (Rs. 5.25 crore), Akash Madhwal (Rs. 1.20 crore), Kumar Kartikeya (Rs. 30 lakh), Nitish Rana (Rs. 4.20 crore), Tushar Deshpande (Rs. 6.50 crore), Shubham Dubey (Rs. 80 lakh), Yudhvir Singh (Rs. 35 lakh), Kwena Maphaka (Rs. 1.50 crore), Kunal Rathore (Rs. 30 lakh), Ashok Sharma (Rs. 30 lakh), Fazalhaq Farooqi (Rs. 2 crores), Vaibhav Suryavanshi (Rs. 1.10 crore).
RR’s strengths:-
A strong batting lineup
RR has a very strong batting lineup with a mix of experienced players and some fearless youngsters. They have a settled top order and a few finishers in the middle order with some firepower. With Yashasvi Jaiswal’s fearless approach and Sanju Samson’s recent T20I performances, RR will not bother about their openers.
At No. 3, they can use Nitish Rana who can anchor the inning and can charge later. Riyan Parag had an outstanding season in the last IPL and Shimron Hetmyer has proved his worth in T20 leagues all around the world. Dhruv Jurel has also shown maturity at the highest level and has that power game to flourish in the end.
A decent bowling unit overall
Although with some uncertainty and form, Rajasthan Royals have a decent enough bowling attack for the IPL 2025. They have brought in Jofra Archer in the team. The Englishman has started his IPL career with the RR franchise and has done well for them. He can bowl fast Yorkers in the death overs and can be used as a wicket-taker with the new ball and in the middle.
Sandeep Sharma has loads of experience in the IPL and has bowled well with the new ball. In the last few seasons, he has improved a lot as a death bowler. To bowl in the middle overs, they have two Sri Lankans in the team; M Theekshana and Wanindu Hasaranga. Nowadays, teams control the game in the middle overs, and spinners play a huge role in it. With Theekshana’s mystery and Hasaranga’s wrist spin, RR can control the game in the middle overs. Theekshana can also be used in the powerplay as a wicket-taker.
Flaws/weaknesses in RR
Injury-prone Jofra Archer
As we said earlier in the strength part, RR has a decent overall bowling unit with some flaws. Archer is injury-prone in the last few years. He hasn’t been in his best for a while and his pace has dropped. RR has to manage his workload and try to use him cautiously. If he won’t be at his best, Rajasthan Royals will face the need for out-n-out death bowlers.
Death bowling – a slight concern
Although Archer, Madhwal, and Sandeep are in the mix, their death bowling is still a concern. As we said, Archer hasn’t been at his best. Madhwal has gone for plenty while playing for MI in IPL 2024, and Sandeep is not an out-and-out fast bowler with express pace.
Lack of bench strength
Other than playing XI, RR lacked bench strength. They don’t have an experienced spinner in the team other than those two Sri Lankans. For Archer, Fazal Farooqi can come in but he is more suitable with the new ball. In the batting department, they also don’t have a big name with experience other than those who start in the first XI.
Conclusion
So these are the strengths and weaknesses of Rajasthan Royals squad in IPL 2025. They have done well in the last few seasons but will look to make it big this time around. It’s been a while since they have won the IPL title. They have a decent squad to do it in IPL 2025.
