2025 Rajasthan Royals season
Indian Premier League cricket team
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The 2025 season was the 16th season for the Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket franchise Rajasthan Royals. They were one of the ten teams that competed in the 2025 IPL. The team was captained by Sanju Samson and coached by Rahul Dravid.
| 2025 season | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Sawai Mansingh Stadium and ACA Cricket Stadium, home grounds of Rajasthan Royals | |||
| Coach | Rahul Dravid | ||
| Captain | Sanju Samson | ||
| Ground(s) | Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur ACA Cricket Stadium, Guwahati | ||
| League stage | 9th place | ||
| Most runs | Yashasvi Jaiswal (559)[1] | ||
| Most wickets | Wanindu Hasaranga Jofra Archer Maheesh Theekshana (11 each)[2] | ||
| Most catches | Shimron Hetmyer (13)[3] | ||
| Most wicket-keeping dismissals | Sanju Samson (5)[4] | ||
| |||
Rajasthan Royals were the second team to be eliminated from the 2025 IPL and finished the season in ninth place with four wins from 14 matches. Yashasvi Jaiswal scored the most runs (559) while Wanindu Hasaranga, Jofra Archer and Maheesh Theekshana took the most wickets (11 each) for Rajasthan in the 2025 season.
Pre-season
The 2025 Indian Premier League was the 18th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), a professional Twenty20 (T20) cricket league, organised by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).[5] Rajasthan Royals had previously won the title once in the 2008 inaugural IPL.[6] The team finished in third place in the previous season.[7] The tournament featured ten teams competing in 74 matches from 22 March to 3 June 2025.[8][9] Rajasthan played most of their home matches at Sawai Mansingh Stadium[10] with two matches played at ACA Cricket Stadium.[11]
Player retention
Franchises were allowed to retain a maximum of six players from their squad, including a maximum of five recent international players.[12] Franchises were required to submit their retention lists before 31 October 2024.[13] Rajasthan retained six players, including captain Sanju Samson.[14][15]
| No. | Player | Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sanju Samson | ₹18 crore (US$1.9 million) |
| 2 | Yashasvi Jaiswal | ₹18 crore (US$1.9 million) |
| 3 | Dhruv Jurel | ₹14 crore (US$1.5 million) |
| 4 | Riyan Parag | ₹14 crore (US$1.5 million) |
| 5 | Shimron Hetmyer | ₹11 crore (US$1.1 million) |
| 6 | Sandeep Sharma | ₹4 crore (US$420,000) |
| Batters | Wicket-keepers | All-rounders | Fast bowlers | Spin bowlers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Auction
The season's auction took place on 24 and 25 November 2024 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.[17] The auction purse for each franchise was set at ₹120 crore (US$12 million), with the franchises being deducted an amount from the purse for each retained player.[18][19] Rajasthan had a purse remaining of ₹41 crore (US$4.3 million).[20] Franchises that did not retain six players, were allowed Right-to-Match (RTM) cards at the auction for each player not retained.[21] Rajasthan had no cards left.[22] Rajasthan bought fourteen players in the auction, including seven capped players and five overseas players.[23]
Squad
- Players with international caps as of start of 2025 IPL are listed in bold.
- Ages are as of 22 March 2025.
- Withdrawn players are indicated by a dagger symbol (†) and placed at the bottom of the table.
| S/N | Name | Nationality | Birth date | Batting style | Bowling style | Salary | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | Riyan Parag |  India | 10 November 2001 (aged 23) | Right-handed | Right-arm leg break | ₹14 crore (US$1.5 million) | Stand-in captain[a] |
| 11 | Sanju Samson | India | 11 November 1994 (aged 30) | Right-handed | Right-arm off break | ₹18 crore (US$1.9 million) | Captain |
| 12 | Vaibhav Sooryavanshi | India | 27 March 2011 (aged 13) | Left-handed | Left-arm orthodox | ₹1.1 crore (US$110,000) | |
| 14 | Kunal Singh Rathore | India | 9 October 2002 (aged 22) | Left-handed | Right-arm off break | ₹30 lakh (US$31,000) | |
| 21 | Dhruv Jurel | India | 21 January 2001 (aged 24) | Right-handed | Right-arm medium-fast | ₹14 crore (US$1.5 million) | |
| 22 | Jofra Archer |  England | 1 April 1995 (aged 29) | Right-handed | Right-arm fast | ₹12.5 crore (US$1.3 million) | Overseas |
| 24 | Tushar Deshpande | India | 15 May 1995 (aged 29) | Left-handed | Right-arm medium-fast | ₹6.5 crore (US$670,000) | |
| 25 | Akash Madhwal | India | 25 November 1993 (aged 31) | Right-handed | Right-arm medium-fast | ₹1.2 crore (US$120,000) | |
| 26 | Kumar Kartikeya | India | 26 December 1997 (aged 27) | Right-handed | Left-arm unorthodox | ₹30 lakh (US$31,000) | |
| 27 | Shubham Dubey | India | 27 August 1994 (aged 30) | Left-handed | Right-arm off break | ₹80 lakh (US$83,000) | |
| 34 | Yudhvir Singh | India | 13 September 1997 (aged 27) | Right-handed | Right-arm medium-fast | ₹35 lakh (US$36,000) | |
| 49 | Wanindu Hasaranga |  Sri Lanka | 29 July 1997 (aged 27) | Right-handed | Right-arm leg break | ₹5.25 crore (US$550,000) | Overseas |
| 61 | Maheesh Theekshana | Sri Lanka | 1 August 2000 (aged 24) | Right-handed | Right-arm off break | ₹4.4 crore (US$460,000) | Overseas |
| 64 | Yashasvi Jaiswal | India | 28 December 2001 (aged 23) | Left-handed | Right-arm leg break | ₹18 crore (US$1.9 million) | |
| 83 | Fazalhaq Farooqi |  Afghanistan | 22 September 2000 (aged 24) | Right-handed | Left-arm medium-fast | ₹2 crore (US$210,000) | Overseas |
| 189 | Shimron Hetmyer |  West Indies | 26 December 1996 (aged 28) | Left-handed | Right-arm leg break | ₹11 crore (US$1.1 million) | Overseas |
| N/a | Nandre Burger |  South Africa | 11 August 1995 (aged 29) | Left-handed | Left-arm fast-medium | ₹3.5 crore (US$360,000) | Overseas; replacement[b] |
| N/a | Kwena Maphaka | South Africa | 8 April 2006 (aged 18) | Left-handed | Left-arm medium-fast | ₹1.5 crore (US$160,000) | Overseas |
| N/a | Lhuan-dre Pretorius | South Africa | 28 March 2006 (aged 18) | Left-handed | N/a | ₹30 lakh (US$31,000) | Overseas; replacement[c] |
| N/a | Ashok Sharma | India | 17 June 2002 (aged 22) | Right-handed | Right-arm medium-fast | ₹30 lakh (US$31,000) | |
| 20 | Sandeep Sharma † | India | 18 May 1993 (aged 31) | Right-handed | Right-arm medium-fast | ₹4 crore (US$420,000) | Withdrawn[b] |
| 36 | Nitish Rana † | India | 27 December 1993 (aged 31) | Left-handed | Right-arm off break | ₹4.2 crore (US$440,000) | Withdrawn[c] |
- Riyan Parag captained Rajasthan Royals for the first 3 games,[25] and in later games when Sanju Samson was unavailable.[26]
- Nandre Burger replaced Sandeep Sharma, after the latter withdrew due to finger injury.[27]
- Lhuan-dre Pretorius replaced Nitish Rana, after the latter withdrew due to calf injury.[28]
Support staff
In September 2024, it was announced that Rahul Dravid would replace Kumar Sangakkara as Rajasthan's head coach,[29] while Vikram Rathour would join as batting coach.[30]
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Rahul Dravid |
| Batting coach | Vikram Rathour |
| Bowling coach | Sairaj Bahutule |
- Source: Wisden[31]
League stage
Rajasthan Royals began their season with two defeats against Sunrisers Hyderabad and Kolkata Knight Riders.[32][33] They won the next two matches against Chennai Super Kings and Punjab Kings;[34][35] but lost the next five matches against Gujarat Titans,[36] Royal Challengers Bengaluru,[37] Delhi Capitals,[38] Lucknow Super Giants[39] and Bengaluru.[40] They won their tenth match against Gujarat with their player Vaibhav Sooryavanshi becoming the youngest and the fastest Indian player to score a century in the IPL.[41] Following a 100-run defeat against Mumbai Indians, they were eliminated from the 2025 IPL.[42] They lost the next two matches against Kolkata[43] and Punjab;[44] but won in their last match of the season against Chennai.[45]
Points table
| Pos | Grp | Team | Pld | W | L | NR | Pts | NRR | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A | Punjab Kings | 14 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 19 | 0.372 | Advance to Qualifier 1 |
| 2 | A | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | 14 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 19 | 0.301 | |
| 3 | B | Gujarat Titans | 14 | 9 | 5 | 0 | 18 | 0.254 | Advance to Eliminator |
| 4 | B | Mumbai Indians | 14 | 8 | 6 | 0 | 16 | 1.142 | |
| 5 | B | Delhi Capitals | 14 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 15 | −0.011 | Eliminated |
| 6 | B | Sunrisers Hyderabad | 14 | 6 | 7 | 1 | 13 | −0.241 | |
| 7 | B | Lucknow Super Giants | 14 | 6 | 8 | 0 | 12 | −0.376 | |
| 8 | A | Kolkata Knight Riders | 14 | 5 | 7 | 2 | 12 | −0.305 | |
| 9 | A | Rajasthan Royals | 14 | 4 | 10 | 0 | 8 | −0.549 | |
| 10 | A | Chennai Super Kings | 14 | 4 | 10 | 0 | 8 | −0.647 |
League progression
| Win | Loss | No result |
- Note: The total points at the end of each group match are listed.
- Note: Click on the points (group matches) or W/L (playoffs) to see the match summary.
Fixtures
Sunrisers Hyderabad (H) 286/6 (20 overs) |
v |
Rajasthan Royals 242/6 (20 overs) |
- Rajasthan Royals won the toss and elected to field.
- Aniket Verma (Sunrisers Hyderabad) made his IPL debut.[47]
Rajasthan Royals (H) 151/9 (20 overs) |
v |
Kolkata Knight Riders 153/2 (17.3 overs) |
- Kolkata Knight Riders won the toss and elected to field.
Rajasthan Royals (H) 182/9 (20 overs) |
v |
Chennai Super Kings 176/6 (20 overs) |
- Chennai Super Kings won the toss and elected to field.
Rajasthan Royals 205/4 (20 overs) |
v |
Punjab Kings (H) 155/9 (20 overs) |
- Punjab Kings won the toss and elected to field.
Gujarat Titans (H) 217/6 (20 overs) |
v |
Rajasthan Royals 159 (19.2 overs) |
- Rajasthan Royals won the toss and elected to field.
Rajasthan Royals (H) 173/4 (20 overs) |
v |
Royal Challengers Bengaluru 175/1 (17.3 overs) |
- Royal Challengers Bengaluru won the toss and elected to field.
Delhi Capitals (H) 188/5 (20 overs) |
v |
Rajasthan Royals 188/4 (20 overs) |
- Rajasthan Royals won the toss and elected to field.
- Super Over: Rajasthan Royals 11/2 (0.5 overs), Delhi Capitals 13/0 (0.4 overs)
Lucknow Super Giants 180/5 (20 overs) |
v |
Rajasthan Royals (H) 178/5 (20 overs) |
- Lucknow Super Giants won the toss and elected to bat.
- Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (Rajasthan Royals) became the youngest player to make IPL debut.[48]
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (H) 205/5 (20 overs) |
v |
Rajasthan Royals 194/9 (20 overs) |
- Rajasthan Royals won the toss and elected to field.
Gujarat Titans 209/4 (20 overs) |
v |
Rajasthan Royals (H) 212/2 (15.5 overs) |
- Rajasthan Royals won the toss and elected to field.
- Karim Janat (Gujarat Titans) made his IPL debut.[49]
- Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (Rajasthan Royals) became the youngest player to score a century in IPL history.[50]
Mumbai Indians 217/2 (20 overs) |
v |
Rajasthan Royals (H) 117 (16.1 overs) |
- Rajasthan Royals won the toss and elected to field.
- Rajasthan Royals were eliminated as a result of this match.[51]
Kolkata Knight Riders (H) 206/4 (20 overs) |
v |
Rajasthan Royals 205/8 (20 overs) |
- Kolkata Knight Riders won the toss and elected to bat.
Punjab Kings 219/5 (20 overs) |
v |
Rajasthan Royals (H) 209/7 (20 overs) |
- Punjab Kings won the toss and elected to bat.
- This match was originally scheduled for 16 May at the same venue, before being rescheduled.[52]
- Mitchell Owen (Punjab Kings) made his IPL debut.[53]
Chennai Super Kings (H) 187/8 (20 overs) |
v |
Rajasthan Royals 188/4 (17.1 overs) |
- Rajasthan Royals won the toss and elected to field.
- This match was originally scheduled for 12 May at the M. A. Chidambaram Stadium,[54] before being rescheduled.[52]
Statistics
At the IPL end of season awards, Sooryavanshi was awarded for the highest batting strike rate in the season.[55]
| Runs | Player |
|---|---|
| 559 | Yashasvi Jaiswal |
| 393 | Riyan Parag |
| 333 | Dhruv Jurel |
| 285 | Sanju Samson |
| 252 | Vaibhav Sooryavanshi |
| Wickets | Player |
|---|---|
| 11 | Wanindu Hasaranga |
| 11 | Jofra Archer |
| 11 | Maheesh Theekshana |
| 9 | Sandeep Sharma |
| 9 | Tushar Deshpande |