Picking an all-time RR XI ahead of IPL 2025 ft. Sanju Samson, Shane Warne

Inaugural champions Rajasthan Royals (RR) will begin their IPL 2025 campaign with a match against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Sunday, March 23. RR had a mixed season in 2024. They won eight of their first nine matches and then lost four games in a row. RR qualified for the playoffs, but went down to SRH in Qualifier 2.

Ahead of the IPL 2025 auction, Rajasthan Royals retained six players - Sanju Samson (₹18 crore), Yashasvi Jaiswal (₹18 crore), Riyan Parag (₹14 crore), Dhruv Jurel (₹14 crore), Shimron Hetmyer (₹11 crore), and Sandeep Sharma (₹4 crore). At the auction, they purchased 14 players. Jofra Archer (₹12.50 crore) was their most expensive buy, while they also bought Tushar Deshpande for ₹6.50 crore.

As RR gear up for IPL 2025, we pick an all-time XI of the franchise that won the T20 league when it was held for the very first time in 2008.

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Top-order: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ajinkya Rahane, Jos Buttler

The ultra-aggressive Yashasvi Jaiswal would open the innings in the all-time Rajasthan Royals XI and he could be partnered by either Ajinkya Rahane or Jos Buttler. Any of the two can bat at No. 3 depending on the team combination.

In 53 matches for RR, Jaiswal has scored 1,607 runs at an average of 32.14 and a strike rate of 150.60. The left-hander already has two hundreds to his credit apart from nine half-centuries. He has played some sensational knocks in the IPL and will be among the key batters for RR in IPL 2025 as well.

Rahane is the second-leading run-getter for the Rajasthan franchise. In 106 matches, he scored 3,098 runs at an average of 35.60 and a strike rate of 122.30, with two hundreds and fifties. As for Buttler, he represented RR in 83 matches and clobbered 3,055 runs at an average of 41.84 and a strike rate of 147.79, with seven hundreds and 18 fifties. It was a surprise he wasn't retained by Rajasthan.

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Middle-order & All-rounders: Sanju Samson (wk), Shane Watson, Yusuf Pathan, James Faulkner

Shane Watson batting during IPL 2012 (Image Credits: Getty Images)

Current skipper Sanju Samson would be the keeper-batter in the all-time RR XI, while Shane Watson, Yusuf Pathan and James Faulkner would be the all-rounders. Samson is Rajasthan's leading run-getter. In 146 matches, he has scored 3,934 runs at an average of 31.72 and a strike rate of 140.55, with two tons and 25 fifties.

Watson played a huge role in Rajasthan Royals' success in the early years of the IPL. In 84 matches, he scored 2,474 runs at an average of 35.85 and a strike rate of 140.16, with two hundreds and 14 half-centuries. The former Aussie all-rounder is still the franchise's leading wicket-taker. He claimed 67 scalps at an average of 27.83 and an economy rate of 7.55, with a best of 3-10.

Pathan represented RR in 43 matches. He scored 1,011 runs at a strike rate of 161.24, with one hundred and six half-centuries. With his off spin, he claimed 20 wickets at an economy rate of 7.39. Left-arm pacer Faulkner claimed 53 wickets in 48 matches at an average of 27.37, which included two five-wicket hauls.

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Bowlers: Shane Warne (c), Yuzvendra Chahal, Siddharth Trivedi, Pravin Tambe

Yuzvendra Chahal bowling during IPL 2024 (Image Credits: Getty Images)

It would be difficult to look beyond the late Shane Warne as the leader of the all-time RR XI. He was the captain when Rajasthan won their only title in 2008, inspiring a team of underdogs to victory. In 56 matches, Warne claimed 58 wickets at an average of 25.36 and an economy rate of 7.24, with a best of 4-21.

Yuzvendra Chahal and late bloomer Pravin Tambe would be the other spinners in the all-time Rajasthan Royals XI. Chahal claimed 66 wickets in 46 matches at an average of 22.80, with four five-fers and one four-fer. Tambe played 31 matches and picked up 35 scalps at an average of 22.51. He also claimed a famous hat-trick against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in Ahmedabad in IPL 2014.

Former Rajasthan Royals pacer Siddharth Trivedi also features in the all-time XI of the franchise. In 76 matches, he picked up 65 wickets at an average of 29.29 and an economy rate of 7.58. Trivedi was, however, banned for a year after the 2013 edition for not reporting an approach by a bookie. He was never seen in the IPL after that.