How did they do it? I firmly believed that their title triumph last year was a fluke and they are going to find it difficult this year in Elite league.
They did find it difficult for the first 5 matches in the league phase. Their performance was mediocre. Their points tally was 5 points after 5 matches with 2 matches to go.
Rajasthan were no where in the race for the qualification for the knock outs. Other teams were way ahead of them. Then something happened.
At this juncture with 2 matches left in the league phase RCA appointed former South African fast bowler Meyrick Pringle as the bowling coach. What magic he did only the almighty knows. Even Sumit Mathur, who is the workhorse type of bowler started getting 5 fors.
Pankaj Singh started getting more wickets. Even the newcomer Ritu Raj Singh playing in place of injured Deepak Chahar, bagged plentiful of wickets. They defeated Saurashtra in a tense final day's play and then steamrolled Orissa with a bonus point to finish with 16 points. Luck was with them as well as Uttar Pradesh who needed a win in their last match to qualify ahead of Rajasthan only managed a draw.
Then they got the better of Hyderabad and Haryana to reach the final. Their slow batting approach in the final was criticised and ridiculed. But who cares? They got over 600 runs and knocked over Tamilnadu for under 300 to be India's Champions again.
CONGRATULATIONS DESERT FOXES. You guys have done it again. Can not be happening again next year. Let some one else win. Hopefully Karnataka.....
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