IPL: Rajasthan Royals sealed playoff berth in these seasons
Rajasthan Royals, on May 14, became the second side to qualify for the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) playoffs. The Royals joined Kolkata Knight Riders after Delhi Capitals' win over Lucknow Super Giants favored them. RR, the 2022 runners-up, have reached the IPL playoffs for the sixth time. Here are the other seasons where they ended up sealing the playoff berth.
2008: RR become champions of inaugural season
RR were the dark horses of the inaugural IPL season in 2008 under the leadership of legend Shane Warne. The absence of star players haunted the Royals initially, but Warne's belief shrugged it off. RR beat Chennai Super Kings in a thrilling final to lift the trophy. They chased down 164 on the final ball. Yusuf Pathan and Shane Watson starred in RR's campaign.
2013: Wait comes to an end!
Things went south for the Royals after a record 2008 season. They finished in the bottom half for the next four seasons. RR finally broke the deadlock in 2013 when they reached the playoffs, finishing third. They won 10 of their 16 matches and lost 16. RR lost Qualifier 2 to eventual champions Mumbai Indians. This marked Rahul Dravid's last appearance in the IPL.
2015 and 2018: Back-to-back playoff appearances
Watson led RR in IPL 2015 where they once again qualified for the playoffs. The Royals finished fourth before losing the Eliminator to Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Notably, RR then received a two-season ban alongside Chennai Super Kings due to spot-fixing allegations. The Royals returned with a bang in 2018 and finished in top four. They lost the Eliminator to Kolkata Knight Riders.
2022: Resurgent RR bounce back
RR, under the leadership of Sanju Samson, bounced back in the expanded 10-team IPL 2022. The Royals finished second to reach their second-ever final in the IPL. They lost Qualifier 1 to Gujarat Titans before beating Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Qualifier 2. However, the Royals eventually lost a historic final to GT. Jos Buttler and Yuzvendra Chahal led the runs and wickets column, respectively.
