So far, the team of Rajasthan Royals have been led by six captains, out of which three have been foreign players
Rajasthan Royals (RR) are on a roll in the ongoing season of the Indian Premier League. Halfway through, the team is at the top of the table, and if it continues to perform in the same way, RR will be one of the four teams that will reach the playoffs. Current captain Sanju Samson has been exceptional in the leader’s role since 2021 and has thoroughly impressed cricket enthusiasts around the globe.
However, in this article, we take a step back and look at the other five captains who once handled affairs at Rajasthan Royals.
It is quite tragic that the world lost the legendary Shane Warne too early at the age of 52 on March 4, 2022. Late Warnie, the magical spin bowler gave India its first-ever IPL champions, leading RR to the coveted IPL trophy. Warne captained 56 of RR’s matches, winning 31 and losing 24 whereas one match ended in a tie – he enjoyed a winning percentage of 55.35. Between 2008 and 2011, Warne played 56 matches and picked 58 wickets, the fourth highest in RR’s history.
It was under the captaincy of Warne that players such as Ravindra Jadeja, Ajinkya Rahane and Naman Ojha bloomed – two of whom, Jadeja and Rahane, have now become big names in international cricket.
Rahul Dravid became the first Indian to lead RR after he left Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in 2010. He captained the side for three seasons till 2013, leading the team to the Champions League T20’s semi-final berth and the playoffs of the IPL in 2013. Dravid helped RR win 23 matches out of 40 while losing 17 with a winning percentage of 57.50. In 2011, 2012, and 2013, Dravid played 52 games, scoring 1,324 runs – the sixth-highest run-getter for Rajasthan Royals with seven 50s but no IPL century to his name.
8 years ago, Rahul Dravid led Rajasthan Royals one last time as a skipper in the Champions League T20.
— 𝐑𝐨𝐲𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐅𝐚𝐧 𝐂𝐥𝐮𝐛 (@RoyalsFC_) September 16, 2021
A legend of the game 🏆 #ThrowbackThursday #HallaBol | #RoyalsFamily pic.twitter.com/O3NJAUU7G7
After Dravid, another Australian was put in-charge of the team – all-rounder Shane Watson. Watson’s captaincy helped the team reach the 2015 playoffs but he was still shown the exit door pretty soon, only after 21 games. RR won seven games under him but lost 11 whereas two games ended in a tie. Watson’s winning percentage was 33.33.
Shane Watson remains the fourth-highest run scorer for Rajasthan Royals with 2,474 runs in 84 games, including two centuries and 14 50s. It must be noted that Watson is also Rajasthan Royals’ highest wicket-taker, with 67 scalps in 84 matches and a best of 3/10.
Ajinkya Rahane helped RR reach the 2018 IPL playoffs, which included RR’s four crucial wins in their last five table matches. Rahane captained the team in 24 games, winning nine but losing 15 with a winning percentage of 37.50. For the record, Rahane played for RR from 2011 till 2019, representing the team in 138 matches. He is the team’s second-highest run-scorer with 3,098 runs, including a score of 105 not-out, 21 half-centuries, and two 100s.
Present captain Sanju Samson has led RR in 54 games so far, becoming only the second captain after Warne to cross the 50-game mark. Out of 54, Samson has won 29 games for the team, whereas the team ended up losing 25 games. For the record, Sanju Samson is the leading run-scorer for RR, with 3,717 runs under his belt and counting.
