Preview: Rajasthan Royals chase consistency

Since their tournament-winning exploits in the first edition of the IPL, Rajasthan Royals have flattered to deceive, their next best performance coming in 2013 when their journey was cut short one game away from the final. Their philosophy largely remains unchanged, keeping a strong core of players, and the rest of the squad plays around them. Last year, RR had a topsy-turvy campaign, thrilling at one stage and baffling the next. The year 2015 saw all teams make reinforcements but RR have continued with their time-tested tradition, and will continue to rely on their Australian imports.

Captain: Shane Watson

Coach: Paddy Upton

Previous IPL standings: 2008 - Winners, 2009 - 6th, 2010 - 7th, 2011 - 6th, 2012 - 7th, 2013 - Play-offs, 2014 - 5th.

How they fared in IPL 2014: A stop-start campaign at best, Rajasthan Royals displayed a lot of spunk in the UAE leg of the tournament, scripting a memorable Super Over victory over Kolkata Knight Riders and continued their run when the tournament shifted back to India, and had five wins out of their seven matches, before their run went on a downward spiral.

The Australian duo of Steven Smith and James Faulkner scripted many a memorable moment, but they lost momentum towards the end of the league stages and needing just one more victory from their last three matches, panic crept in. A virtual knock-out in their last league game beckoned, and Mumbai Indians scripted a thrilling victory to end their campaign.

New additions: Chris Morris, Juan Theron, Barinder Singh Saran, Dinesh Salunkhe, Sagar Trivedi, Pardeep Sahu

Key players: Shane Watson, James Faulkner, Steven Smith, Ajinkya Rahane, Stuart Binny, Karun Nair, Sanju Samson, Tim Southee

Fresh face: RR seem to have covered all bases with their purchases this year and the addition of South Africa paceman Chris Morris gives them a little more zip in their bowling attack. Morris was part of the Chennai Super Kings squad last season but didn't get many opportunities, but RR may opt to use him as a back-up option for Tim Southee, as he possesses similar skills lower down the order as a hard-hitting batsman as well.

Squad: Shane Watson, Abhishek Nayar, Ajinkya Rahane, Ankit Nagendra Sharma, Ben Cutting, Deepak Hooda, Dhawal Kulkarni, Dishant Yagnik, James Faulkner, Kane Richardson, Karun Nair, Pravin Tambe, Rahul Tewatia, Rajat Bhatia, Sanju Samson, Steven Smith, Stuart Binny, Tim Southee, Vikramjeet Malik, Chris Morris, Juan Theron, Barinder Singh Saran, Dinesh Salunkhe, Sagar Trivedi, Pardeep Sahu

Chances for IPL 2015: Desperate to recreate their opening season, Rajasthan Royals are prepared to launch another campaign hoping they reach the highs of 2008. Another middle-of-the-table finish could demotivate players who have been with the franchise for long, and the think-tank would be aware of that. Along with the Australian stars, RR would bank on some of their local talent to come good and fire in unison, which can help them improve on their fifth-place finish this season.

Cricbuzz.com's prediction: A good season for the Australian trio of Watson, Smith and Faulkner, and RR could be looking at a play-off berth in 2015.