April 20, 2025: Rajasthan Royals (RR) spin bowling coach Sairaj Bahutule admitted that his side missed a golden opportunity to seal a win against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), falling short by just two runs in a thrilling Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 encounter at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium on Saturday.
Chasing a target of 182, RR looked well in control with a strong opening partnership between Yashasvi Jaiswal and debutant Vaibhav Suryavanshi, followed by a steady stand with stand-in skipper Riyan Parag. At one stage, Rajasthan required just 25 runs from 18 balls with plenty of wickets in hand. However, a game-changing spell by Avesh Khan derailed the chase, sealing a dramatic win for LSG.
Speaking at the post-match press conference, Bahutule reflected on the missed opportunity.
“Definitely, we had less than 20 runs to get — maybe even less than 10-15 runs. When we had a partnership going, we could have finished it in a couple of overs itself. The way Jaiswal batted, the way Vaibhav gave a good opening stand, and Riyan carried on… I think we were set to chase that target. But these things happen in the T20 format. We have to accept it and move on,” he said.
Bahutule praised the young guns in the squad, particularly 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who impressed everyone with his composed 34 off 20 balls on IPL debut.
He also credited head coach Rahul Dravid for maintaining composure in the dressing room, even during tense situations.
“To be honest, we have been playing good cricket. It’s just that the result has not gone our way. In the dugout, there’s a lot of calmness with Rahul being there. But unfortunately, losing by two runs in this game and a Super Over in the previous one—it’s been hard. But that’s the way the game goes,” Bahutule added.
Despite the disappointment, the Royals can take solace in the emergence of promising talent and the fighting spirit displayed by the team.
With only two wins from eight matches, RR currently sits eighth on the points table, while LSG climbs to fourth with five wins out of eight. Rajasthan Royals will now look to regroup quickly as they prepare for the second half of their IPL 2025 campaign.