Rajasthan Royals (RR) have lost their captain. The inaugural champions, for the first time after eight years, will be without their talisman, Sanju Samson, who has been traded to the Chennai Super Kings (CSK). However, for a combined fee of Rs 16.60 crore, RR have got two superb all-rounders in Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran. Rajasthan’s long-standing problem of a fragile lower order and lack of all-rounders.
One of the most underrated signings in a trade deal that RR made was of Donovan Ferreira as well, who is signed for a crore from the Delhi Capitals (DC). He adds firepower in the finishing department and can keep wickets as well. With all this, the finishing prowess (after retaining Dhruv Jurel and Shimron Hetmyer) is set for RR. However, there are other glaring holes that they need to sort out at the IPL 2026 auction on December 16.
RR Purse & slots for IPL 2026 auction
Only MI, PBKS and GT have a smaller purse than RR at the mini auction. RR will enter the auction with a purse of INR 16.05 crore and they need a huge 9 slots to fill. Well, they don’t necessarily need to buy nine players. Their retention tally was 16, meaning they need at least two more. However, with injury concerns and NOC issues for some players, Rajasthan are bound to buy at least 4-5 players. However, they already have seven overseas players, meaning they can sign only one at the auction. Check the purse of all 10 teams here.
Players RR should target at IPL 2026 auction
Rajasthan Royals could have a number three problem. Currently, Sam Curran looks like the best bet but in all fairness, he can’t be trusted for a long and high-pressure tournament to bat at that number. What RR actually need is a proper number three batter so that the likes of Riyan Parag, Jurel, Hetmyer, Ferreira and Jadeja operate in the middle and lower order.
Rachin Ravindra seems like a perfect option but for that to happen, RR would need to drop either Curran or Ferreira. Cooper Connolly, who is a great talent, could be an option too.
Another route that RR can take is to buy an Indian batter to form up the slot. Players like Sarfaraz Khan, Karthik Sharma, and Tushar Raheja could be great options. With this, RR can play an extra foreign pacer in the XII. Talking about foreign pacers, they can sign one (if they choose to buy Indian batter for number 3). Options are plenty, including Jacob Duffy, Matt Henry and Ben Dwarshuis.
Regardless, RR need to sign an Indian pacer too with their local talent Ashok Sharma being a prime target. However, with him being in demand, Money Grewal and Sushant Mishra could be perfect.
| Player | Type |
|---|---|
| Jason Holder/Rachin Ravindra/Cooper Connolly/Jack Edwards | Foreign all-rounder who can bat in top order |
| Tushar Raheja/Abhinav Manohar/Sarfaraz Khan/Karthik Sharma | Indian batter |
| Rahul Chahar/Kumar Kartikeya/Ravi Bishnoi | Indian wrist spinner |
| Tanush Kotian/Prashant Veer | Indian all-rounder |
| Kamlesh Nagarkoti/Ashok Sharma/ Sushant Mishra/Kartik Tyagi/Money Grewal/Tom Eden Apple | Indian pacer |
Now comes a major slot for RR. A wrist spinner. Currently, they dont have one. It is one slot that can complete the RR lineup. Hence, RR can spend more than 60% of their purse in getting someone like Ravi Bishnoi. The former world No. 1 T20I bowler will be in demand. But RR need to fight with other teams. IPL 2025 was not a great year for Bishnoi but 72 IPL wickets at an economy of under 8.5, Bishnoi can form a great pair with Ravindra Jadeja.
Rajasthan Royals Retentions for IPL 2026
- Released: 9
- Retained: 16
- Purse available: INR 16.05 crore
- Slots available: 9 (1 overseas)
Batters retained by RR
| Player | IPL 2026 price (INR) |
|---|---|
| Yashasvi Jaiswal | 18 crore |
| Shimron Hetmyer ✈️ | 11 crore |
| Vaibhav Suryavanshi | 1.1 crore |
| Shubham Dubey | 30 lakh |
| Dhruv Jurel | 14 crore |
| Lhuan Dre Pretorius ✈️ | 30 lakh |
| Donovan Ferreira (T) ✈️ | 1 crore |
All-rounders retained by RR
| Player | IPL 2026 price (INR) |
|---|---|
| Riyan Parag | 14 crore |
| Ravindra Jadeja (T) | 14 crore |
| Sam Curran (T) ✈️ | 2.6 crore |
Bowlers retained by RR
| Player | IPL 2026 price (INR) |
|---|---|
| Jofra Archer ✈️ | 12.50 crore |
| Tushar Deshpande | 6.5 crore |
| Sandeep Sharma | 4 crore |
| Nandre Burger ✈️ | 3.5 crore |
| Kwena Maphaka ✈️ | 1.5 crore |
| Yudhvir Singh Charak | 35 lakh |
Released RR Players
Kunal Singh Rathore, Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Akash Madhwal, Ashok Sharma, Kumar Kartikeya, Sanju Samson (traded to CSK), Nitish Rana (traded to DC)
