MATCH STORY
Follow UsRajasthan Royals (RR) signed Tom Kohler-Cadmore in the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) auction with great hopes. Although he was bought at his base price of INR 40 lakh, he was a superstar as a T20 globetrotter, scoring 982 runs in T20s in 2023 up until the auction day on December 19th. He averaged 30.7 at a strike rate of 152.5.
TKC, as he is fondly known, was regarded as a shrewd signing from RR. Questions arose about how they would fit him in the XI. And the answer was that he was a backup to Jos Buttler, one of those undroppable players in a star-studded RR line up.
Buttler, being England’s white-ball captain, had to leave to join the Three Lions’ preparations for the T20 World Cup, making way for TKC to play two league games and then the playoffs. Pedigree aside, it was the most like-for-like replacement any team can get for a player like Buttler.
Batting thrice, TKC has had one of the most forgettable seasons for an overseas batter or an opening batter. In three innings, the 29-year-old has managed only 48 runs from 54 balls, averaging 16 at a strike rate under 100. After 18 (23) against Punjab Kings (PBKS) and 20 (15) against RCB in Qualifier 1, TKC scored 10 (16) against Sunrisers Hyderabad in the do-or-die Qualifier 2 that threw the team off in a run chase of 176.
Moreover, he batted like a pinch-hitter, trying to hit every ball out of the park without establishing any connection between the bat and the ball. Alongside a strike rate of 62.5, he had a false shot percentage of 43.7%.
RR were 24/1 in four overs when he was dismissed attempting another one of his hoicks – caught at covers a few yards outside the 30-yard circle. Overall, TKC’s strike rate of 92.2 in the powerplay created pressure on RR who were already facing wretched fortunes in terms of their opening combination.
Buttler himself blew hot and cold in the season. Barring his two match-winning hundreds, Buttler’s highest score in the season was 35 in nine innings. Yet, with his experience, Buttler won two games for RR on his back in two crunch situations.
TKC’s efforts, on the contrary, pushed RR back. Batting first, SRH scored 68 runs in the powerplay at the back of Rahul Tripathi’s 15-ball 37. On a slow pitch, RR needed one of their batters to replicate that while the ball was new. Kohler-Cadmore moved the other way.
The right-hander has had a poor run in T20 cricket ever since he was signed by RR. Since the auction, he has averaged only 15.6 at a strike rate of 120.9.
You cannot blame RR for investing in TKC. Unfortunately, the fortunes of the Kent-born dipped as he joined the RR camp, much like how RR dipped in the second half of the 2024 season.
