Rajasthan Royals was eliminated from the Indian Premier League (IPL) playoffs after a comprehensive defeat to Mumbai Indians on Thursday.

Fielding coach Dishant Yagnik admitted that missed opportunities and poor execution in crucial moments were central to the team’s downfall this season.

However, he emphasised that the Royals’ management has a strong track record of nurturing young talent and turning promising players into superstars for the upcoming seasons.

“In the Royals’ setup, whenever a new player joins, he comes in as just a player, but we turn him into a star. Now, with this new crop of players, we will do the same. We don’t look for ready-made superstars—we create them. That’s our tagline”, Yagnik said.

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Yagnik was candid in his assessment and generous in his praise for Mumbai’s dominant display.

“Mumbai’s batters were outstanding, no doubt. You have to give credit, especially to Surya (Suryakumar Yadav) and Hardik (Pandya). They played exceptional cricket and managed to put away even good deliveries,” he said.

“Rohit (Sharma), Surya, and Hardik’s skills effectively countered our bowling plans. Just like the other night when Gujarat Titans praised Vaibhav for his innings, today, we acknowledge the brilliance of Mumbai’s batters.”

Reflecting on the broader struggles, Yagnik noted his side failed to convert crunch moments into victories, “T20 cricket is a game of fine margins.

“We were in dominant positions in more than three or four matches and came very close to winning. But our execution during the crucial phases was lacking,” he added