Rajasthan Royals (PTI Photo)

NEW DELHI: Ever since the retentions were announced, Rajasthan Royals (RR) became a hot topic of discussion — but for all the wrong reasons.
Almost everyone was surprised when they let go of star players like Jos Buttler, Trent Boult, and Yuzvendra Chahal, while choosing to retain the likes of Dhruv Jurel, Shimron Hetmyer, and Riyan Parag.
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Now, after seven games, the Royals find themselves in the bottom half of the table. So how has their campaign gone so far?
Hits
Jofra Archer had a nightmare start to the season, conceding 76 runs in his 4 overs against SRH. It was the most expensive spell in IPL history as he went wicketless in his first two games.
But ever since then, Archer has looked close to his best. He’s bowled brilliantly in the powerplay and has been one of the few bright spots for RR in recent matches.
Misses
Beyond Archer, the bowling lineup has looked all over the place.
Tushar Deshpande has been leaking runs, and the Sri Lankan spin duo of Maheesh Theekshana and Wanidu Hasaranga hasn’t come close to replicating the success that Chahal and Ashwin brought to the team.
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In the batting department, inconsistency has plagued the top order.
Openers Jaiswal and Samson have scored 233 and 224 runs respectively across 7 games.
While Jaiswal has managed three fifties, Samson has struggled to convert his starts, with the exception of a strong knock in the season opener.

Riyan Parag, who was expected to build on his form from last season, hasn’t delivered, and Jurel too hasn’t lived up to expectations.
Playoffs Prediction
To realistically qualify for the playoffs, the Royals would need to win six out of their remaining seven matches — a tall task.
While not impossible, the chances of such a turnaround are slim. As things stand, RR would need something close to a miracle to stay alive in the race for a playoff spot.