RR vs KKR: "Rajasthan Royals have entered the playoffs, don't know how..."- Brian Lara's explosive remark

Legendary West Indies cricketer Brian Lara shared his thoughts on the Rajasthan Royals' (RR) recent poor performance in the ongoing IPL 2024, which has cast a shadow over their playoff campaign.

Despite becoming the second team to secure a spot in the IPL 2024 playoffs after Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Rajasthan Royals (RR) have faced significant setbacks lately in the tournament.

The Sanju Samson-led RR's most recent defeat in the ongoing IPL season came at the hands of the Punjab Kings (PBKS), who outdone them by five wickets at the Baraspara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati on May 15.

Rajasthan Royals (RR) face setbacks ahead of IPL 2024 Playoffs

After the match, Lara highlighted the challenge RR faces in regaining their form. The legendary West Indies batter pointed out that the Royals appear to have lost their momentum at a crucial juncture of the tournament.

RR’s fourth consecutive defeat shows a troubling trend that could hinder their quest for a top-two finish in the IPL 2024 points table. Lara expressed concerns about RR's ability to recover from their current slump.

He observed that once a team falls into a pattern of such poor performance, it becomes very difficult to break the jinx and return to winning ways. As RR heads into the IPL 2024 playoffs, Lara is uncertain whether they can overcome this downturn and revive their campaign in time to make it to the final.

Brian Lara said on Star Sports: “Ya not enough runs on the board and when you get onto that slump or that decline, it gets really hard RR are showing that it becomes really hard to get out of that decline. They have entered playoffs, don’t know how they are going to pick themselves up.”

Brian Lara calls for RR to introspect and overcome the recent slump

Lara said that the RR must convincingly win their last league match against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on May 19 to secure a top-two finish in the standings. With Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) also in contention and potentially finishing with 16 points if they win their remaining two matches, there is a possibility that SRH could surpass RR to join KKR at the top.

The former cricketer-turned-commentator believes further stress is placed on the importance of RR reflecting on what led to their sudden slump in the ongoing IPL 2024, as he pointed out some factors that will be crucial for their comeback and success in the playoffs.

He added, “They have to win the next game convincingly and hope SRH don’t win their next 2 games to run one or two. You want to qualify on top of the table. It’s very hard to explain, they are a very good side. They need to introspect what happened in the first half and what is happening now.”

However, the West Indies great is confident that RR will return to their winning ways ahead of the IPL 2024 playoffs, as they have just lost their momentum in the tournament. Lara signed off by saying, “They have got to pick themselves up. They are still a force to be reckoned with when they are playing their best. RR just losing their momentum. Hopefully, they will pick it up.”