Despite their hopes of making it to the IPL playoffs this season fading, Rajasthan Royals’ fielding coach Dishant Yagnik said they will continue to support young players. This comes after criticism for releasing big names like Jos Buttler and Trent Boult before the mega auction.
Rajasthan Royals, the champions of the 2008 IPL season, are struggling this year. After a big 100-run loss to Mumbai Indians on Thursday, they only have six points from 11 games and are in 8th place on the points table.
The team has many young players, including 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who became the youngest player in IPL history to score a century, and opener Yashasvi Jaiswal. But the team is feeling the loss of Buttler and Boult, who were key players in past seasons.
When asked about the difference between last year’s star-studded team and this year’s younger squad, Yagnik said, “New players aren’t stars when they come, but we make them stars.”
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He added, “The players we had last year weren’t stars when they joined the team, but they became stars. Now, the players we have will also become stars. We don’t buy superstars, we create them. This is our motto.”
Last year, Rajasthan Royals almost reached the IPL finals, finishing third with 17 points from 14 games. However, on Thursday, Suryavanshi was out for a duck, and Jaiswal managed only 13 runs, with RR getting all out for 117 while chasing Mumbai’s huge score of 217/2.
Yagnik also praised Suryavanshi for his 101-run knock in the match against Gujarat Titans, saying, “Look at Vaibhav, everyone was happy when he was batting. In time, these players will become stars, and we believe in them.”
Yagnik said the team must focus on the talent they have, not worry about past players like Buttler. “When you don’t have a player, you must move on. We have Vaibhav, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and our captain Sanju Samson. We will keep going forward and win with them,” he said.
Regarding RR’s future plans for the next auction, Yagnik said, “We will analyze and make decisions later.”
Yagnik also acknowledged Mumbai Indians’ skill, saying their players, like Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, and Hardik Pandya, played brilliant shots on good deliveries. “You have to give credit where it’s due,” he said.
The fielding coach defended his team’s preparations despite several dropped catches this season. “I’ve been a fielding coach for 8 years, and from 2018 to 2023, we were always in the top three for fielding. Every team has a bad season where they drop catches, and this year it’s our turn,” Yagnik explained.
Finally, Mumbai Indians pacer Deepak Chahar spoke about bowling with world-class bowlers like Jasprit Bumrah and Trent Boult. He said, “Bowling with world-class partners makes my job easier. If I have a bad over, it’s backed up by a great over or a wicket from my teammates, which makes it easier for me to bowl to the new batter.” Chahar took two key wickets and bowled two tight overs in the match, helping Mumbai Indians secure the win.
