Rajasthan Royals and IPL playoffs: Qualification and performance record

Rajasthan Royals have made the playoffs in the Indian Premier League six times so far.

Sanju Samson is the only captain to lead the Royals into the IPL playoffs twice. He led the team into the knockouts in 2022 and IPL 2024.

Out of a total of 11 matches played by the Royals so far in the IPL playoffs, they have won five and lost six.

 

Rajasthan Royals in IPL playoffs

 

Played	Won	Lost	Tie	No Result
11	5	6	0	0

 

Here’s a look at how Rajasthan Royals have fared in the knockout phase of the tournament so far.

 

IPL 2024 playoffs: RR lose to SRH in Qualifier 2

 

Rajasthan Royals qualified for the IPL 2024 playoffs after finishing third in the standings and met Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Eliminator at Ahmedabad. 

Bowling first, the Royals managed to keep RCB to 172/8 as Avesh Khan picked up 3/44 and Ravichandran Ashwin finished with an impressive 2/19 in four overs. Trent Boult also chipped with an economic spell of 1/16.

The Royals pulled off a four-wicket win as they went past RCB’s total with an over to spare. Yashasvi Jaiswal top-scored in the match with 45 runs off 30 balls, hitting eight boundaries, as Riyan Parag struck two sixes and two fours for his 26-ball 36.

In Qualifier 2, the Royals faced Sunrisers Hyderabad at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai. 

Opting to bowl first, the Royals kept SRH to 175/9 with Heinrich Klaasen scoring a half-century. Trent Boult picked up 3/45 and Avesh Khan finished with excellent figures of 3/27 with Sandeep Sharma chipping in with two wickets.

In response, the Royals could manage only 139/7 as they fell short by 36 runs. Dhruv Jurel waged a lone battle, top-scoring in the match with an unbeaten 56 off 35 balls, that included two sixes and seven fours, with Yashasvi Jaiswal also contributing 42. 

But in the end, that was not enough as the Royals failed to make it to the final.

 

IPL 2022 playoffs: RR finish runners-up

 

The Royals under Samson finished second on the points table in IPL 2022 and were up against Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 1 at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. Batting first, the Royals tallied 188/6 as Jos Buttler top-scored with a 56-ball 89. 

Buttler hit 12 fours and two sixes in his fourth half-century of the tournament and received good support from Samson who scored 47 off just 26 balls, which included five fours and three sixes. 

The Royals had a perfect start with the ball as Trent Boult struck in the second ball of the chase. But skipper Hardik Pandya and David Miller guided the Titans to a seven-wicket victory.

In Qualifier 2, the Royals met Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Ahmedabad. The Royals bowling unit put in a disciplined performance restricting RCB to 157/8. Pacers Prasidh Krishna and Obed McCoy ended with 3/22 and 3/23, respectively, in their four overs.

The Royals made light work of the chase with Player of the Match Jos Buttler getting to his fourth hundred of the season. The Englishman hit six sixes and 10 boundaries to remain unbeaten on 106 off just 60 balls in the Royals’ seven-wicket win with 11 balls to spare.

The Royals faced the Titans, for a second time in five days, at Ahmedabad, in their first IPL final since 2008. Opting to bat first, the Royals could manage only 130/9 with Buttler top-scoring with 39 off 35 balls including five hits to the fence.

In response, Boult and Yuzvendra Chahal bowled their hearts out, pulling off economic spells of 1/14 and 1/20 respectively, but the Titans won the final by seven wickets.

 

IPL 2018 playoffs: RR lose to KKR in Eliminator

 

Fourth-placed Royals faced third-placed Kolkata Knight Riders in the eliminator of IPL 2018 at Eden Gardens. 

Opting to bowl first, the Royals were off to an excellent start as they reduced KKR to 51/4 in eight overs, but they recovered to post 169/7. Krishnappa Gowtham, Jofra Archer and Ben Laughlin picked up two wickets each for the Royals.

The Royals were sitting comfortably at 109/1 after 14 overs but could manage only 144/4, as they fell short by 25 runs. Sanju Samson scored 50 off 38 balls hitting two sixes and four fours and skipper Ajinkya Rahane made 46 which included four boundaries and a six. 

 

IPL 2015 playoffs: RR lose to RCB in Eliminator

 

Batting first at the MCA Stadium in Pune, RCB put 180/4 on the board on the back of AB de Villiers’ 66 off only 38 balls. Dhawal Kulkarni starred for the Royals with the ball picking up prized wickets of Chris Gayle and Virat Kohli as Chris Morris picked up a wicket.

But the Royals stumbled in the chase as they were dismissed for 109 and lost the match by 71 runs. Rahane top-scored for the Royals hitting four fours but could not get enough support from the other end.

 

IPL 2013 playoffs: RR lose to MI in Qualifier 2

 

The Royals finished third and were up against Sunrisers Hyderabad in the eliminator of IPL 2013 at Delhi. Electing to bat first, SRH struggled to 132/7 as Vikramjeet Malik struck for the Royals with a wicket each in his first and second over and finished with 2/14.

The Royals were 57/5 at the halfway mark but Player of the Match Brad Hodge remained unbeaten with a counter-attacking 54 off just 29 balls that included five sixes and two fours as the Royals won by four wickets.

In Qualifier 2, the Royals faced Mumbai Indians at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. Batting first, the Royals aggregated 165/6 with skipper Rahul Dravid hitting 43 to be their top-scorer. Stuart Binny and Dishant Yagnik also played important cameos to help the Royals to a fighting total.

But MI, powered by Dwayne Smith’s half-century, managed a four-wicket win. Kevon Cooper picked up two wickets for the Royals but MI closed off the chase with a ball to spare.

 

IPL 2008 playoffs: RR become champions

 

The Royals, who finished on top of the points table in the inaugural edition of IPL, met fourth-placed Delhi Daredevils in the semi-finals at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. 

Batting first, Shane Watson scored a 29-ball 52 laced with three sixes and four fours, as the Royals posted an intimidating 192/9. Watson was supported well by Yusuf Pathan who smashed four sixes and three fours in his 21-ball 45. 

Player of the Match Watson returned to torment Delhi with the ball as he picked up 3/10 to bundle them out for a paltry 87. Munaf Patel also picked up three wickets and captain Shane Warne scalped two.

The Royals were crowned the first winners of IPL at the DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai, as they defeated Chennai Super Kings by three wickets in a tense final that went till the last ball. 

Yusuf Pathan, after his 3/22 with the ball that helped the Royals to keep CSK at 163/5, played a stellar role in the chase top-scoring with 56 off 39 balls.

Player of the match Pathan hit four sixes and three boundaries as Shane Warne and Sohail Tanvir managed to see off a tricky phase getting eight off the last over to trigger celebrations in the Royals dugout.