Follow UsRajasthan Royals were unlucky yet again in the Indian Premier League 2025 as Lucknow Super Giants handed them their sixth loss in eight games to force them to the eighth spot on the points table. This was particularly difficult after losing to Delhi Capitals in the Super Over in the preceding game.
Redeeming their position from here to keep their qualification hopes alive seems like a daunting proposition, but Rajasthan Royals’ spin-bowling coach Sairaj Bahutule is not too fussed about it.
"To be honest, we've been playing good cricket. It's just that the result has not gone away. In the dugout, there's a lot of calmness with Rahul (Dravid) being there,” Bahutule said in the post-match press conference.
"Everybody has played enough cricket in that dugout to know that one should not panic and take it as it comes. But unfortunately, losing by two runs this game and the previous game with the super over, yes, it's been hard, but that's the way the game goes.
"T20 is a format where a lot of risk is involved. You make a lot of mistakes, and our effort is to minimise those mistakes. I think when we had a partnership going, we could have finished it in a couple of overs itself. But Avesh bowled that good over again. So, yeah, we could have finished it. But again, we are absolutely calm, composed about it and we just look forward to the next game."
With the eventual difference between the two teams coming down to just two runs, it was natural to go back and think about Sandeep Sharma’s final over, in which the pacer conceded 27 runs, mostly due to insane power-hitting by Abdul Samad. One of the most consistent and premium pacers in the side, conceding an expensive over was natural to gain attraction, but Bahutule doesn’t buy into that factor.
"That doesn't mean I can take anything away from him because he's a fabulous bowler. He's always bowled those important and tough overs. Definitely, we would've had 20 runs less, maybe 10-15 runs lesser to chase. But (still) I think we were set to chase that target,” the former Indian spinner said.
"Don't think any team wins or loses because of a player. I'll be honest with you, it is a team game. In the previous match too, he gave two overs with very less runs - 5 and 7 runs. So generally, we forget those important overs and we keep emphasising on overs which he has not bowled well. But I think for us, he is a 100% giver. And the team backs him, everybody backs him.
"It's not easy to go there and perform day in and day out with the same intensity. But I just feel, I think we are a unit. Things are not going our way, the results are not going our way. But I feel it's a young side and I'm sure everybody is hurting and they will learn from their mistakes. You were in a commanding position in both the matches, still you were on the losing side."
Despite the side’s lack of form, Bahutule added that the presence of former Indian skipper and head coach Rahul Dravid has helped the team be absolutely clear in terms of ideas and communication.
"The clarity with us, with the support staff and the players and in the dressing room is absolutely the best I've seen. Rahul is very clear about whatever the plans are, the game plans are. It's just that on that particular day, the execution from players didn't happen and it was just in that last over, things didn't go our way.
"Most of the time, we were in the game and we were playing good cricket. So, I just feel that we just didn't get over that finishing line. I think they will assess the situation and will let us know."