Rajasthan Royals are struggling at 8th place in the Indian Premier League, having won just 2 out of their first 8 matches. Rajasthan, who have now lost four games in a row, botched run chases in their last two outings and ended up losing to Delhi Capitals and Lucknow Super Giants. Speaking on Rajasthan’s performance this season, former cricketer Ambati Rayudu slammed the franchise.
Rayudu criticised the team after their loss to the Lucknow Super Giants, where they failed to score 9 runs in the final over. Yashasvi Jaiswal and Riyan Parag were seen as the main culprits, throwing away their wickets in the death overs despite bringing Rajasthan close to victory.
Rayudu argued that despite backing youngsters for years, Rajasthan has little to show for it. He went as far as to claim that the Royals are running some sort of charity, acting as though they’re giving back to world cricket by nurturing young players.
“They’ve invested so much in youngsters over the years. What have they gotten out of it? It’s been 17 years since they’ve won an IPL, and they always showcase this as if it’s their strength. It’s like some great charity they’re doing for the game, but it’s not. You’re here to compete,” Rayudu said on ESPNcricinfo.
“You’re here to win the IPL, and there are proven ways teams have adopted to win it—yet they don’t follow any of those. And then they want people to appreciate them as a good team just because they give youngsters from around the world a platform,” he added.
