Betfacts / Andrew Hughes / 14 April 2009 /

Andrew Hughes begins his Indian Premier League team profiles with a close look at last year's champions.

Performance Last Year

Rajasthan were not supposed to win the IPL. A cut-price squad, an overweight maverick as a captain and no permanent coach, they were everyone's favourites to finish at the bottom of the heap. But the pundits were wrong. After losing their first game, they seemed to improve with every match, putting together an impressive run of results en route to the final where they beat Chennai in a last ball thriller.

Captain (and coach)

The inimitable Shane Warne

Three Key Players

In the absence of 2008 IPL sensation Sohail Tanvir, it is new recruit Shaun Tait who will have to provide the cutting edge. He has the pace to wreak havoc, providing his radar doesn't go astray and his body holds up. Another injury prone star is Graeme Smith, but the South African captain is the team's senior batsman and on his home patch he will be expected to dominate. No player is more important than Warne himself. His on field leadership, innovative field settings and improvised tactics were a key ingredient in Rajasthan's success last time.

Strengths

The bowling looks strong, with Tait and Shane Harwood added to the squad and Morne Morkel becoming available. Their biggest asset though is their team spirit and positive attitude, something not always apparent in the other IPL dressing rooms.

Weaknesses

Shane Watson's likely absence will hit the batting department strongest. Tyron Henderson did well with Middlesex, but this is a big step up in class and if Smith's hand problem were to flare up again, the batting would start to look a little thin. It may be asking a lot of domestic-class Indian batsmen Niraj Patel and Swapnil Asodnakar to repeat their 2008 heroics on foreign soil.

Prospects

The loss of Tanvir and Watson is a double blow. But Rajasthan's success was not built on one or two individuals and Warne proved particularly adept at getting the best out of every member of the squad, including the lesser known Indian players. It might be harder to pull off the second time around, but the team have brought in some solid replacements and there is every possibility that the market is once again underestimating the Royals. They look an excellent bet at the current [8.6].

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