Can Rajasthan Royals wear the crown again?

Rajasthan Royals is playing IPL’09 as a defending champion. In IPL’08, no one had thought, this team would win the tournament. Shane Warne proved to be a lucky charm for desert land.

At the time of auction before IPL’08, all the teams were fighting for players like Dhoni, Hayden and other proven players. Warne was keeping faith on players like Sohail Tanveer, Munaf Patel and Sidharth Trivedi. It was proved, when this team won the tournament without any big name.

All the players of team performed like true champions and as a unit. Dream came true for many players to play with greats like Shane Warne and Graeme Smith. Warne played the role of motivator for all the youngsters than a mere captain. A player, who is from other country and handling a bunch of Indian Youngsters, is not an easy job. This legend spinner did not let his greatness go out of limit at any time of the tournament. He knew very well that a player could not do much single handed in cricket; he kept all the players united, focussed and ready to face any situation.

But, Before IPL’09 begins; Rajasthan Royals axed six of its players from the team and sent back home from South Africa. Team management did not feel necessary to disclose the reason of axing the players. It is the mere assumption of media that these players have been axed due to their performance of in the last IPL season. If this is the reason, why did not management feel axing them before flying to South Africa?

Sources are also saying, franchisee has not enough money to maintain the accommodation of all the players in South Africa as expenditure has increased by more than double to last season. So, they decided to axe some players on the level of performance. This decision of franchisee can affect the performance of remaining players or increase the level of performance.

Will Warne be able to repeat the magic of 2008? Let’s wait till action of IPL gaga gets over.