Ajinkya Rahane feels that Rajasthan Royals can still make it to the playoffs

The Rajasthan Royals haven’t performed like the Chennai Super Kings or the Sunrisers Hyderabad but they are also not languishing at the bottom of the table like the Mumbai Indians. The franchise suffered a major setback when Steve Smith was suspended from participating in the tournament but they had enough bench strength to compensate for it. In Ajinkya Rahane, the team had an able skipper who had the capability of taking the side all the way through to the knockouts.

However, the performance of overseas players and skipper Rahane has been a worry for the Royals. The likes of Ben Stokes and D’Arcy Short have failed to make an impact so far that has affected the balance of the side. The arrival of Jofra Archer solved their bowling woes to a certain extent but the team needed more from other players. On Wednesday, the RR bowlers were hammered to all parts of the ground by the Delhi batsmen in a rain-curtailed game. In spite of a defining knock from Jos Butler, the Royals fell short of the target by four runs.

Royals and Daredevils still in the hunt for the playoffs

The Rajasthan Royals skipper hasn’t lost hope and believes that his side can still make it to the playoffs.  “Disappointing to lose this game. We batted incredibly well. Jos upfront was magnificent. We all believe that we can win all our games and make it to the play-offs,” said Rahane in the post-match presentation.

The Royals are currently seventh on the points table with just three wins from eight games. They need at least five wins from their remaining six fixtures to stay in the hunt for the playoffs.

Rishab Pant, who is looking in great touch for the Delhi Daredevils played a blinder again by scoring 69 runs off just 29 deliveries. He is also the Orange cap holder at present with most runs this season.

“It is going great for me. Win is more important for me. No added responsibility for being the retained player. I am using some different tricks to counter the bowlers. We are being positive because we know if we lose one more match we are out of the tournament. Intent is the same in every match we play,” he said.

The Daredevils need to carry on this momentum and win their remaining fixtures to qualify for the playoffs. Every match is a knockout for them. One more slip up will end their hopes of progressing further in the tournament.

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