Will the spot-fixing allegations cost the Royals a spot in the final?

Rajasthan Royals have so far punched above their weight in this IPL. They have outperformed some of the more fancied teams like Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bangalore this season. Not a bad achievement at all for a team which is led by a 41 year old, who is not considered ideal for a slam bang tournament like the IPL.

The Royals team reflects the captain’s mentality on the field; they are not the most flamboyant bunch of players you will ever see, but they more than make up for it by hard work and team bonding. This season, they have unearthed some good players like Sanju Samson and Stuart Binny. Sanju Samson, 18, has so far scored 196 runs. It is not the quantity of runs but the way he has scored those runs that matters; he looks as if he belongs to this level of cricket.

Another player who has done wonders under Dravid’s leadership is Stuart Binny; he seems to enjoy the responsibility of being an all-rounder. There is not much spotlight on you if you are playing alongside the all-rounder of Shane Watson’s calibre, and Binny seems to enjoy that as much as anything.

All this while, Rajasthan has looked like a team, which can go on and match the feat of first season, when they won the title under the leadership of Shane Warne. But behind closed doors, there is something more to it than what meets the eye. Three Rajasthan players were caught by Delhi police for alleged involvement in spot-fixing after the match against Mumbai Indians, and that came as a shock to the Royals’ team management. The team owners and captain, Rahul Dravid, are in shock at the moment. They are having to look at off-field activities more than on field proceedings, which is not ideal for any team heading in to the match of such magnitude.

A look at their last fixture against Sunrisers, which was played immediately in the aftermath of spot-fixing saga will tell you the whole story. They looked completely listless, it was as if their mind was not the field (frankly can’t expect them to be also), they were just going through the motions. It is the mental toughness of an individual that comes to the fore in such instances as much as anything. Your captain can inspire to only a certain extent but ultimately it is an individual’s responsibility to get their act together, and we are here talking about the professional players who earn millions. As tough as it may sound, if Rajasthan Royals don’t put their house in order then it will be a walk in the park (as it was the other day in Hyderabad) for their opponents Sunrisers Hyderabad.