Rajasthan Royals (RR) bowling coach Shane Bond has reflected on his team's close losses in the Indian Premier League 2025 (IPL 2025) and said that they haven't been good enough at winning matches after being in a good position.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00And so that's why we're sitting at the rear end of the table
00:04where perhaps we could have sat some more in the middle.
00:08So, look, we've had some big overs, there's no denying that.
00:13We've had some bowlers who have had some tough days,
00:15but that's probably been the same for a number of bowlers
00:18and teams throughout the tournament.
00:19So when you say toothless, what do you mean?
00:22I think collectively the bowling unit,
00:24especially over the last three games, have done a pretty good job
00:26and keep the opposition to scores, perhaps we should have chased down.
00:36Well, Shane, going into tomorrow's game, as you said, not in an ideal situation.
00:41So when you're down like this, as you said, a couple of games could have gone either way
00:44and nobody would want to play a Super Bowl after being so close to the win.
00:49So in a situation like this, when hardly anything goes with it,
00:52including your captain, he's getting injured.
00:54So how do you, as part of the supporting staff,
00:58how do you manage to get the team back into a good mood
01:02ahead of a crucial match like this one?
01:09I suppose the stuff that's hardest is that,
01:11I feel like for us, for 35 overs of games, we've played really well
01:16and in fact have been in control in some games
01:18and probably got into positions where we should have won.
01:23So you have to give credit to the opposition.
01:25They were good enough in those tight moments to go over the top of us
01:30and win those games.
01:31I suppose that's what hurts is you go now, you know what,
01:34we're 2-7 or whatever we are, 2-8 and go,
01:37jeez, where we could sit on the table, but there's nothing we can do about that now.
01:41So, look, we're probably out of the tournament in terms of the points table,
01:46but that doesn't mean there's not a lot to play for.
01:50Obviously, as a team, we want to make sure we finish the season strong,
01:53continue playing well, but also for individuals, there's a lot to play for.
01:57You know, for next season, you know, wanting to stay with the franchise,
02:02there's always that up for Kate to, you know, to put on performances
02:07that warrant, that we think we've worked for.
02:11So, yeah, for me, it's been really disappointing.
02:14I think we're all competitive, we want to win.
02:16And when you've got a bunch of people who've worked really hard,
02:19like our guys have, I don't expect them to just turn up
02:22and go through the motions.
02:23I expect us to turn up every day with the right attitude, bring energy,
02:27and make life as hard as we possibly can for the opposition
02:30that we play against.
02:31And I feel like we've done that for most of the competition.
02:33We've lost a lot of close games, but we just haven't quite been good enough.
02:39Shane, this is Suhas from Times of India.
02:41Hi, mate.
02:42My question is, CSK, they are at the bottom, at the game.
02:47And their coach, Stephen Fleming, yesterday only,
02:50he said they might make some mistakes at the option table.
02:55Do you agree with that RR also did the same mistake at the option table?
03:01Because we don't have a backup strength to replace the players who are heading continuously.
03:10That's a good question.
03:12Maybe.
03:13I suppose that's something you work through at the end of the season,
03:16see how the season pans out.
03:18I think you also look at that perhaps at the end of an auction cycle,
03:21after three years.
03:22I think, I mean, you look at the last three years cycle for Rajasthan was a great cycle.
03:27It made a final, made the playoffs, was in contention all the time.
03:31It's not an ideal start.
03:33But then at the end of the year, that's what you do.
03:35You look at your squad.
03:37You look at who's performed.
03:38How do you make improvements and changes?
03:40I think every team does that.
03:42In terms of whether it's been a poor option or not,
03:46look, I don't really think about that too much, to be honest.
03:49I'm not really involved in that process.
03:51But what you would say is, I think we've played pretty good cricket.
03:55We just haven't been quite good enough.
03:57So, as I said, if we seized a couple of key moments,
04:00it could very well look different on the table
04:03when we may not be having this conversation.
04:05Sian?
04:07My question is, don't you think there's some just, I mean,
04:13the team management couldn't manage to put what certain players,
04:20like making mens match of young Rago,
04:25he was sent up there by just in the first innings that he played here.
04:32He scored magnificently good and certified.
04:35But that was not the reason why he should have been promoted.
04:39And, look, what you have done, he got only 16 months,
04:44the same player got in his debut 35 months.
04:47So, at times what we have seen,
04:49the players are not utilized properly by sending them to the right order.
04:54Do you think there's this drastic decision-making process
04:59versus something which needs to be reviewed?
05:06I think Rybov's in the right spot for him.
05:09Obviously, he's very young,
05:10and most of the times the easiest place to bet is at the top of the order,
05:15and he's an opening batsman,
05:16and has played well so fast for someone who's very young.
05:20The most difficult spots to bet in T20 cricket are in the middle order.
05:24So, to put a 14-year-old in the middle order
05:26when he's batted all the time at the top of the order would be a mistake.
05:30I think when you're losing, everybody questions everything.
05:33You know, when you're winning, everything's good.
05:34That's the nature of the job, right?
05:37And that's what we do as a coaching unit.
05:39We sit down and we talk about,
05:41are we making the right decisions?
05:43Who should be batting where?
05:44We go through that process now.
05:46All you can do is take that information,
05:48the players you've got, the form they're in,
05:49the situation of the game,
05:51make a decision and go with it.
05:53Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.
05:55As I said, for the last three games,
05:58we've got in a position to win with the bat.
06:00Actually, we should have won.
06:02The chases that we've done, we just haven't.
06:04But nothing is working well for you.
06:06Well, that's the nature of the game.
06:07Like, there's always,
06:08when you have a 10-team competition,
06:09only one can win it.
06:11So, that's the nature of sport, right?
06:13We want to win.
06:15We're trying our best to win,
06:16but sometimes it doesn't happen.
06:17Shane,
06:19Sanju will be available for tomorrow's match?
06:22No.
06:22No.
06:23And second question is,
06:25Rajasthan lost three matches on the same,
06:28on the verge of winning stage,
06:30but they lost.
06:31So, did you discuss in the dressing room
06:33how to manage that team?
06:37Look, as I said,
06:39after every game,
06:40we get together and go through the game.
06:42The things we've done well,
06:43the things we haven't,
06:44the areas we're looking to improve.
06:45And just try to make subtle adjustments
06:49in the way that we play.
06:50You know, we,
06:51as I said,
06:52I feel like we've played well
06:54for 35 overs in every game
06:56for the last three games,
06:57and we just haven't won.
06:58So,
06:59we haven't tried to panic.
07:00I think if we were getting smashed
07:02by everyone,
07:02it would be a different story,
07:03but we're not.
07:04We feel like we've,
07:05we've got into positions to win.
07:07We just haven't quite been good enough,
07:08and our opposition's been,
07:10been really good.
07:11So, yeah,
07:12all those discussions happen
07:14all the time after every game.
07:15It's whether we win or lose,
07:16we talk about those,
07:17those things.
07:18Unfortunately,
07:18we're losing more than we're winning.
07:20But we also have a squad
07:22that we have, right?
07:22And we've just got to go out
07:23and be really clear
07:24about the way we want to play.
07:25We'll do that tomorrow
07:26and try to tip over GT.
07:29And as I said,
07:29if we continue to play
07:30like we have done
07:31and be a little bit better
07:32in the key moments,
07:33then I'm sure we'll win some games.
07:34Hi, Shane.
07:36Just an extension
07:38to what he had asked.
07:39Like recently,
07:40we heard Dwayne Bravo say
07:42that a lot of players
07:42in KKR are losing form
07:44because there is
07:45a series of losses
07:46that they're enduring.
07:47The momentum is lost.
07:48We saw that with CSK as well.
07:50The new players
07:50who have come in,
07:51they're doing well.
07:52The ones who have sort of
07:53been there in this momentum,
07:54they have slid away.
07:56How do you kind of
07:57address this issue
07:58of when there is,
08:00there are a number of losses
08:02that are piling up.
08:03Players tend to lose form.
08:04I'm assuming maybe
08:05that happens with coaches as well
08:07because it's still an environment.
08:09I mean,
08:09what is at stake beyond,
08:11I mean,
08:12you mentioned that
08:12there is something
08:13to look forward to
08:14for the next season.
08:15But for this season itself
08:16and as a coach as well,
08:19does this sort of
08:20bring down motivation?
08:22Especially since
08:22all of you all
08:23are sort of brought up
08:24in an environment
08:24where wins and losses
08:25are part and parcel
08:27of the whole growing up stage.
08:29There's victory losses.
08:30Why does it still happen
08:31and is there a way
08:33to address this
08:34if you all have experiences
08:35over 20, 30 years
08:36of being a part
08:37of this history?
08:39Yeah, look,
08:40and all the coaching staff
08:41are very competitive.
08:43All the people
08:43in our environment
08:44are very competitive.
08:44So we want to win every game.
08:46Every time you play
08:46a game of cricket,
08:47you want to win.
08:47That's the nature
08:49of what we do.
08:51Loss of motivation?
08:52Absolutely not.
08:53That's like,
08:54we're professionals.
08:54Our job is to turn up
08:55and bring energy
08:57and put a performance
08:57on every game.
08:58So we've prepared
08:59for this game
09:00like every other game.
09:02So we know exactly
09:03how we want to play.
09:04We want to know
09:05how to attack
09:05their betting line-up.
09:06We know we want to play
09:08to our home field advantage
09:09and what that looks like.
09:11You know,
09:11last year we won
09:12a lot of games at home,
09:13nearly all the games here.
09:15Obviously when you bring
09:16a new group of people in,
09:18sometimes that adjustment,
09:19and I think you've seen
09:20that through the IPL,
09:21teams have changed.
09:22Some people have coped
09:24and adapted to home conditions
09:25and other teams haven't.
09:27So look,
09:28at the end of the day,
09:28the first fight
09:29is to get to the playoffs
09:30and we're not going
09:30to get to the playoffs now.
09:32So I think you have
09:32to identify that
09:33and be honest with that.
09:35But,
09:36no, look,
09:36that's the nature of sport, right?
09:38You turn up
09:38and someone's going to win
09:40and nine teams aren't.
09:42All you've got to do
09:43is have a really clear game plan,
09:44understand how you want to play,
09:46and then go out and do it.
09:47And if you're not good enough,
09:48that's OK.
09:49We haven't been good enough so far.
09:50But that doesn't mean
09:52we're not determined
09:52to get out there
09:54and get stuck in
09:55over the next four or five games.
09:57That'll never change.
09:58So, yeah,
09:59as a coach,
10:00you're always looking for
10:01that extra little bit
10:02of improvement.
10:03And that would be the same
10:05for me with a Joffre Archer
10:06who's bowling brilliantly
10:07to a Tushar Dispande
10:09to a Sandeep Shama.
10:10We're always looking for improvement.
10:12Never satisfied with that.
10:13So that doesn't change
10:14whether we're winning games
10:16of cricket or not.
10:17So that's what I love
10:20about the game
10:20and I'm hoping
10:21that we'll finish the tournament
10:22on a good note.
10:25Hi, Shane.
10:26Just keeping this entire season
10:28so far,
10:29you've seen Riyan Parag
10:30also lead.
10:31What do you make
10:32of his captaincy
10:33and the way
10:33he's led the entire season?
10:36And keeping one eye
10:37on the next season,
10:38do you see him
10:39take up that role
10:40on a more permanent basis?
10:44No, I don't see him
10:45taking up on a permanent basis.
10:46Obviously, we've lost
10:47our captain
10:48which has hurt us
10:49a little bit.
10:50We've got a pretty young team
10:51or an experienced team
10:52and so, you know,
10:5422, Riyan.
10:55I know he's been around
10:56the IPL for a while
10:57but he's pretty young
10:58to come in and lead the team.
10:59He's actually done
10:59a really good job.
11:00We're really happy
11:02with what he's doing.
11:03He would admit himself
11:04that he's still learning
11:05the role
11:06and we've got some good support
11:08around him
11:09but so far
11:10he's got a very sharp
11:11cricketing brain.
11:12I think the stuff
11:12that he's done on the field
11:13with the bowlers
11:14and the changes
11:15that he's made
11:16have been really good.
11:17And for us,
11:20I suppose the upside
11:21is you've got someone else
11:22who's gained a little bit
11:23more leadership experience
11:24for next year as well.
11:26So, you know,
11:27I think when Sandju's
11:28on the field,
11:29he's been excellent.
11:31You know,
11:31so we'll go into next season
11:33with two people
11:34who've got that
11:35captaincy experience
11:36and I think that's
11:38going to be good
11:38for the team
11:39in the long term.