Rajasthan Royals’ IPL 2025 season has been a rollercoaster of heartbreak, with their batting talent shining but their results crumbling, especially when chasing. Despite the emergence of 14-year-old prodigy Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Yashasvi Jaiswal’s explosive starts, RR have lost eight of nine games batting second, including a Super Over defeat to Delhi Capitals. Their latest loss against Punjab Kings on Sunday was another gut punch, as a blazing powerplay fizzled into a middle-over collapse. This isn’t the RR of old—between 2022 and 2024, they won 13 of 21 chases, but this year, they’ve matched the unwanted record of Pune Warriors India from 2012 and 2013 for the most chasing losses in a season. Let’s break down their batting struggles, bowling woes, and what’s gone wrong in their chase game.
Powerplay Promise, Middle-Over Mess
RR’s batting in IPL 2025 has been a tale of two halves. Their power play has been electric, averaging 11 runs per over—the best in the tournament. Vaibhav Suryavanshi, the teenage sensation, and Yashasvi Jaiswal have given RR flying starts in four of their six outings together.
Against Punjab Kings, they smashed 89/1 in the powerplay, with Jaiswal hammering 22 runs off Arshdeep Singh in one over. It was their highest powerplay score ever, topping the 87/0 against Gujarat Titans earlier this season. In that GT game, the openers knocked off 80% of the 196-run target by the 12th over, with Jaiswal unbeaten. But Sunday’s game followed a familiar script: a hot start, then a stall. Fans on 1bet were probably buzzing with early optimism, only to see RR’s chase unravel.
The middle overs (7-15) are where RR’s dreams have died. They’ve lost the most wickets in this phase—38, with 26 to spin—and their numbers are grim: an average of 26.23 runs per wicket (second-lowest) and a run rate of 8.52 (third-lowest). Their strike rate against spin in the middle overs is a measly 126.16, well below the tournament’s 138.26.
Middle-Order Misfires
RR’s middle order has been their Achilles’ heel. Shimron Hetmyer, their only specialist overseas batter, has averaged just 20.63 in 2025, a drop from his already shaky 21.25 since 2024. Sanju Samson and Riyan Parag were stars last year, both crossing 500 runs, a rare feat for non-openers from the same team. But Samson’s absence for part of the season hurt, and Parag and Dhruv Jurel have been inconsistent. Samson’s move to No. 3 against Punjab, making way for Suryavanshi and Jaiswal, showed faith in the young opener but didn’t fix the middle-order wobble. In chases, RR’s middle overs have seen collapses—like 51/4 against Mumbai Indians or 65/3 against Punjab—turning strong starts into lost causes. The lack of a reliable anchor or finisher has left them exposed when the openers fall.
Bowling Blues: A Recipe for Disaster
If RR’s batting has been shaky, their bowling has been a disaster. They’ve been the worst bowling side in IPL 2025, leaking runs at an alarming rate. In the nine games where they bowled first, they’ve conceded an average of 214 runs, with seven totals above 180, including four over 200. Lucknow Super Giants, the next-worst, averaged 205 but in fewer games. RR’s bowlers have struggled to contain aggressive batting sides, especially in batting-friendly conditions.
Teams have capitalized, with only 10 of 59 matches in IPL 2025 seeing teams bat first after winning the toss. RR’s decision to chase in six of their nine losses, despite their batting strength, has backfired. Setting a score might have let their batters dictate terms, but their bowling couldn’t back it up.
Chase-by-Chase Breakdown
RR’s chasing struggles are clear in the numbers:
- vs. SRH (Hyderabad): 77/3 in powerplay (12.83), 92/2 in middle overs (10.22), 73/1 in death (14.60)—strong, but not enough.
- vs. GT (Ahmedabad): 57/2 (9.50), 82/4 (9.11), 20/4 (4.61)—middle and death overs collapsed.
- vs. DC (Delhi): 63/0 (10.50), 69/2 (7.66), 56/2 (11.20)—Super Over loss after a slow middle.
- vs. MI (Jaipur): 62/5 (10.33), 51/4 (5.66), 4/1 (3.42)—middle-order disaster.
- vs. PBKS (Jaipur): 89/1 (14.83), 65/3 (7.22), 55/3 (11)—spinners and death bowling killed the chase.
Can RR Turn It Around?
Rajasthan Royals’ season is a story of what could’ve been. Suryavanshi and Jaiswal have been a revelation, but the middle order’s inconsistency and bowling leaks have sunk them. With one game left against Chennai Super Kings, RR have a chance to end on a high and avoid the wooden spoon. For a team that dominated chases in the last cycle, 2025 has been a harsh lesson. As they head into their final match, RR’s young stars and struggling veterans need to show they can learn from it.
