Can't just blame the batters": Rahul Dravid reflects on Rajasthan Royals' struggles in IPL 2025

It’s been a season to forget for the Rajasthan Royals. With their latest 10-run defeat to Punjab Kings, they’ve now suffered their 10th loss in IPL 2025, and are firmly stuck near the bottom of the table with just six points from 13 games. For a team that showed early promise, the fall has been both sharp and disheartening.

After the match on Sunday, head coach Rahul Dravid didn’t sugarcoat things. In a brutally honest post-match press conference, the former India captain admitted the team simply hasn’t been good enough — and the blame isn’t just on the batters.

"We've had our chances... we just didn't take them": Rahul Dravid

“There have been quite a few games where we were right init and then somehow let it slip away,” Dravid said, echoing the frustrations of fans who’ve watched the Royals come close time and again, only to fall short. “It’s not like we’re collapsing — we’ve been five down plenty of times — but we just haven’t found those big shots at the end.”

Indeed, RR’s inability to finish run chases has become a pattern. Eight of their ten losses have come while chasing, many from situations where they looked in control. One such moment came against Lucknow Super Giants, where they needed just 25 runs from the last 18 balls — with eight wickets in hand — but still lost.

“That’s the kind of game you just can’t afford to lose,” Dravid said. “It’s small margins, one or two big hits we couldn’t find. And those missed moments have added up.”

While much of the heat has been on the middle and lower-order batters, Dravid was quick to point out that the bowling unit hasn’t delivered either.

“We’re consistently giving 15–20 runs more than we should. This wasn’t a 220 pitch — 195 maybe. But we just didn’t control things with the ball,” he explained.

Star pacer Jofra Archer has had a rocky season, with injuries and form letting him down. Sandeep Sharma and Tushar Deshpande, too, have struggled to find rhythm, often leaking runs at crucial moments. The Royals have found themselves chasing 200-plus scores far too often.