Sunil Gavaskar Slams RR For Playing Unthinking Cricket, Questions Team’s Approach

Rajasthan Royals’ dismal run in the IPL 2025 continues as the team, now led by Riyan Parag, has suffered its fifth consecutive defeat, this time falling short by just 11 runs against Royal Challengers Bengaluru. The close loss has once again highlighted the team’s ongoing struggles in run chases, and drawn sharp criticism from cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar.

Sunil Gavaskar, who was present at the venue during the match, voiced his concern over the Royals’ tactical choices, especially in light of the presence of Rahul Dravid as their head coach. Known for his composed and cerebral approach to the game, Dravid’s leadership, according to Gavaskar, has not yet translated into the team’s on-field decision-making.

“With Rajasthan Royals, I’m talking about the earlier matches where I wasn’t at the ground. I just saw them. So, you’re not always able to get the feeling of what’s happening. But here, I was on the ground and you could see the kind of cricket that was being played,” Gavaskar said while speaking on Star Sports.

His criticism stemmed not just from Thursday’s defeat, but from a pattern he’s noticed in the team’s recent performances. “And with someone like Rahul Dravid as the coach, it was quite baffling—it was unthinking cricket. Dravid was always so precise in his thinking and I would’ve thought that kind of approach would’ve seeped into some of the Rajasthan batters,” Sunil Gavaskar added.

The Royals have now faltered in three successive run chases where they initially appeared to be in control, raising questions about the team’s mental fortitude and decision-making under pressure. Gavaskar’s remarks underscore a growing concern around Rajasthan’s inability to close out games, a weakness that continues to haunt them deep into the tournament.