A team performing below expectations in IPL 2025, RR have lost both of their matches so far and will need to turn it around quickly if they want to avoid falling behind the pack early. The team looks very imbalanced with not enough all-rounders and too many bowlers, causing the team to flop under Riyan Parag’s captaincy. Their batting lineup has seen little consistency with their game changers being unable to change the game when called upon. Of all those, Nitish Rana’s slump in the form has stood out, having mustered just 19 runs in two matches in which 8 runs were against KKR and 11 runs were against SRH. Rajasthan may have to go back to the drawing board and look to dump Rana for new ideas and a new perspective.
Nitish Rana’s Form Under Scrutiny In IPL
Nitish Rana issues has been in the spotlight for the last two IPL seasons. In 2024, his form dropped off a cliff with KKR, only featuring twice for the franchise and scoring 42 runs before being let go. Even though he was impactful in big segments of his previous runs with the show, he constantly could not lock up a permanent spot in KKR’s last XI which led to his release. So when the RR got him in by the way of their auction INR 4.2 crore in the mega auction this year, they envisioned him strengthening their aspects on batting order. He still hasn’t released enough performances to make a rock solid case to justify the investment, leaving Rajasthan in a difficult spot.
Rana’s Ongoing Struggles Add To Rajasthan’s Woes
That sad reality for Rana has intensified even more in IPL 2025, where he has continued to crash and burn without making an effective impact. In those two games, he scored a meager 19 runs which only added onto the Rajasthan’s batting struggles. The team, despite already fighting a storm of disarray, have been even further struck by the fact that they have not been able to rely on Rana’s experience to calm the middle order. With Rajasthan Royals deep into a two-game losing streak, his slump was turning into a possible big problem. If he fails to come good soon enough, the 3-time IPL champions will need to start looking very seriously at his place in that playing XI.
