Anil Kumble reflects on Rajasthan Royals' auction strategy following subpar batting performances

New Delhi:

Rajasthan Royals have had a rocky IPL (Indian Premier League) 2025 season so far. In the eight matches that the side has played so far in the tournament, Royals have only managed to win two matches and have lost the remaining six. The team currently occupies eighth place in the standings with four points to their name.

Much of their losses have been accrued to their lack of depth in the batting attack. The side have lost their last two games against Delhi Capitals and Lucknow Super Giants after dominating throughout most of the game, and speaking of their performances, former India cricketer Anil Kumble took centre stage and talked about how the inaugural champions made a mistake by letting go of Jos Buttler ahead of the mega auction. 

"Jos Buttler was the key player for the Rajasthan Royals for a while. He was instrumental in single-handedly damaging the opposition. I was a bit surprised that RR didn't retain him," Kumble was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.

Furthermore, the former India cricketer opined that Royals should have won both of their matches against Delhi Capitals and Lucknow Super Giants. Kumble opined that with the depth in their squad, Royals should have finished both of those matches.

"With the team that they have, they should have won both games. It happens. It's happened to many teams. You will sort of lose from a winning position. I am sure that's something that they will have to assess. Otherwise, they have the team. It's not that they don't have the team to beat any side in this competition. It's just a matter of understanding that you don't leave the charge right till the end. Some teams can win from those situations," he said.

The side’s losses in the last two matches have weighed on their morale quite heavily, and with the upcoming matches, the inaugural champions will hope to improve and put in their best effort to make it to the playoffs.