Sports

Inside Story: RR gives fans access to method behind the madness

New Delhi, Aug 3 (IANS) In an era where cameras and social media have brought cricketers and fans that much closer, Rajasthan Royals went a step further and gave more than a sneak peek into what goes behind running an Indian Premier League (IPL) team successfully. The 75-minute long documentary titled ‘Inside Story: A Season with Rajasthan Royals’, showcases the 2019 journey of the team in the cash-rich league.

The foundation of Royals was set in the first-ever edition of the IPL when the Shane Warne-led team defied all odds to win the title and rightly so, he was the first person to talk about the team, which was the least expensive one when franchises were sold way back in 2008.

According their own high standards, RR didn’t enjoy the best of campaigns in 2019 and finished seventh on the table. Having cameras around the players gave an insight into how players took the bitter pill of defeat and shook it off before the next match.

The camaraderie between overseas and Indian players must have caught the imagination of fans as well. The likes of Steve Smith, Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer sharing dressing room with young Indian cricketers can only be beneficial for the youngsters in the long run.

The documentary also lifted the lid on how the management works round the clock, behind the scenes, to make everything click. From mock auctions to preparing the stadium for a match, there is always a method behind the madness.

More than ups, people usually find it interesting as to how athletes deal with downs in their careers. Ish Sodhi, a New Zealand international, failed to nail a spot in the first team last season and how he dealt with that disappointment shouldn’t be missed.

The fact that cricketers are revered as demigods in the country but watching them being helpless when injury struck or when rain played spoilsport, revealed to fans that they are also mere mortals, just like them.

Not to forget the mid-way change of leadership that saw Smith taking over the armband from Ajinkya Rahane. The management spoke in detail about their decision that made headlines that season and what the two cricketers felt about the not-so-sudden move.

Royals management compiled a small list of what went wrong last season that saw them finish second-last on the table. It will be interesting to see if they have managed to iron out those shortcomings when IPL takes place this year in the UAE from September 19 to November 10.

–IANS

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