In its first season, not even the owners of Rajasthan Royals would have had hoped that their team would secure a berth in the semi-finals as they were regarded as the minnows. However, under the captaincy of the legendary leg spinner, the young team won the inaugural title of IPL. And they deserved it. What Chennai Super Kings could not achieve with their legends like Matthew Hayden, Mike Hussey, Suresh Raina, L Balaji and MS Dhoni, was achieved by the Rajasthan Royals with the likes of Yusuf Pathan, Sohail Tanvil and Shane Watson. CSK had players who had already found the cricketer in them and because of that they were brought to IPL but RR had players who had only then discovered a cricketer in themselves and that too which can win titles. It was a revelation to most of the youngsters.
Let's put the past to the past. In the season II, RR could not win big apart from one or two last ball thrillers. It always lacked one more batsman or a bowler. Shane Warne and his men lost the winning rhythm when one of its strike player fails. May be it was nothing to lose for Shane as he said in a post match session but for the youngsters like Swapnit Adonkar and Naman Ohja it was an opportunity. They could not make better out of it. Yet, Ravindra Jadeja made it to the Indian T20 team but would be given a chance in the much settled and comfortable Indian team is a big question.
Why Rajasthan Royals still remains my favourite team in spite of it not making to the semi this season is the captaincy of Shane Warne. He brings the best of his players who discover a different person inside them. The way he puts his faith on the youngsters and guides them is really tremendous. He has got that gift. Keeping his head cool, talking to the players every time they've been hit to boundaries or in the death overs really brings out the best. He does drive the passion of the game in the youngsters. May be that's the stuff the legends are made up of.
I pray that they regain in the next season what they lost this season.
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