Rajasthan Royals (RR) have signed South African left-arm pacer Nandre Burger as a replacement for injured Indian seamer Sandeep Sharma for the remainder of IPL 2025. The Royals, who are already out of playoff contention, made the announcement ahead of their final two league games.
Sandeep Sharma Ruled Out
Sandeep, a key part of RR’s bowling attack this season, sustained a finger injury that has ruled him out. He played 10 matches, bagging 9 wickets at an economy of 9.89. With RR struggling for consistency throughout the season, Sandeep’s exit further dents their squad depth.
Burger Returns to the Royals
Interestingly, Burger, who debuted for RR in IPL 2024, went unsold at the IPL 2025 auction in Jeddah despite registering at a base price of Rs 1.25 crore. However, his solid performance from last year—7 wickets in 6 matches at an economy of 8.52—convinced the Royals to bring him back. This time, he joins them for a fee of Rs 3.5 crore.
Burger is a fiery left-arm pacer capable of extracting pace and bounce, and could prove useful in the final two games against Chennai Super Kings and Punjab Kings.
Injury-Hit Season for RR
The Royals’ season has been marred by injuries. On the same day, they also announced Lhuan-dre Pretorius as a replacement for Nitish Rana, who was also ruled out due to injury. Pretorius, another South African, joined the squad for Rs 30 lakh.
Captain Sanju Samson has also been sidelined recently due to injury, forcing Riyan Parag to lead the side. Under Parag’s captaincy, RR have failed to turn their form around, winning just 3 out of 12 games so far.
Gavaskar Criticizes Team Strategy
Indian batting legend Sunil Gavaskar minced no words when he criticized RR’s lackluster performance this season. Speaking on Star Sports after their defeat to Royal Challengers Bengaluru, he questioned the approach under the guidance of head coach Rahul Dravid.
“You could actually see the kind of cricket that was being played. And with someone like Rahul Dravid as the coach, it was quite baffling – it was unthinking cricket,” Gavaskar remarked.
What Lies Ahead
With two matches left, RR will hope to salvage pride and possibly experiment with new combinations. Burger’s return offers them an opportunity to test the waters for IPL 2026, especially in terms of overseas fast-bowling options.
As the franchise continues to grapple with form and fitness woes, all eyes will now be on how the Royals finish their campaign. Will Burger’s return spark a turnaround, or will RR’s 2025 season end with more questions than answers?
