Over the years, Rajasthan Royals (RR) have identified skillful youngsters and brought them into the mainstream in the Indian Premier League (IPL). The nine RR buys in IPL 2026 auction were a testament to the same mindset being followed by the team management. After a ninth-place finish with only four wins in IPL 2025, 2026 RR squad will have a new leader after the departure of Sanju Samson. However, the inclusion of Ravindra Jadeja & Sam Curran will fuel the confidence of the side.

Rajasthan Royals squad for IPL 2026: Ravindra Jadeja, Sam Curran, Donovan Ferreira, Sandeep Sharma, Shubham Dubey, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Lhuan-Dre Pretorius, Shimron Hetmyer, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel, Riyan Parag, Yudhvir Singh Charak, Jofra Archer, Tushar Deshpande, Kwena Maphaka, Nandre Burger, Ravi Bishnoi, Sushant Mishra, Yash Raj Punja, Vignesh Puthur, Ravi Singh, Aman Rao, Brijesh Sharma, Adam Milne, Kuldeep Sen.

Let’s take a look at the new addition to the RR 2026 players list and how it impacts the team combination and scenario.

Rationale Behind RR Buys in IPL 2026 Auction

As excited as youuuu Ravi 💗 pic.twitter.com/JSM8KpGgLZ

— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) December 22, 2025

Ravi Bishnoi

The former No. 1 T20I spinner, Ravi Bishnoi, was an impressive addition to the RR 2026 players list. After releasing Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana, Bishnoi is a valuable pick for the franchise. With 194 wickets in 166 T20 matches, Bishnoi will be helpful in all phases of the innings for the RR captain.

𝗡ew𝗭 of the day: Dropping pace and creating chaos at 150 kph from North Island to Rajasthan, our only overseas pick today, Adam Milne 💗🙌 pic.twitter.com/lQQqbN2zFS

— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) December 16, 2025

Adam Milne

Despite not playing competitive cricket since August 2025, Kiwi pacer Adam Milne received an IPL contract. He will likely play his first game after a four-year gapsince representing CSK in 2022. Milne is a backup option for Jofra Archer/Nandre Burger and can be included in the XI if any one of them suffers an injury or goes out of form.

Steaming in with full speed and pure intent. Ghar waapsi mubarak ho, Kuldeep Sen 💗🔥 pic.twitter.com/WDOaW2poz1

— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) December 16, 2025

Kuldeep Sen

Kuldeep Sen will return to the RR setup after two years, as he was part of the PBKS in the last edition. With an ability to clock speeds of 140+ consistently, he will be valuable as a backup for Sandeep Sharma.

Left-arm pacer who is also a death overs specialist 🔥

Your latest Royal, Sushant Mishra 💗 pic.twitter.com/OXtdsq6Yyp

— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) December 16, 2025

Sushant Mishra

Sushant emerged as the joint-highest wicket-taker in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025 with 22 wickets at an economy of 8.92. His contributions helped Jharkhand to lift the trophy for the first time. The trio of Sandeep, Kuldeep, and Sushant makes an exciting trio of Indian pace bowling talent of RR.

Vignesh Puthur picked 3 wickets on his IPL debut last year! 🤯💗

From Kerala to Rajasthan, this one’s an exciting pick! 💪 pic.twitter.com/3SfbGY6JbN

— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) December 16, 2025

Vignesh Puthur

The talented left-arm spinner, Vignesh Puthur, impressed in his IPL debut for the Mumbai Indians last year, picking figures of 3/32. However, he was released and became one of the RR buys in IPL 2026 auction. With a fine form in the domestic circuit, Puthur can be a long-term asset for the Royals.

Consistency rewarded. 💗

Blockbuster show with the bat loading in Pink for Aman Rao 🔜 pic.twitter.com/nWVOS2PJBS

— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) December 16, 2025

Aman Rao Perala

Aman made his name with decent performances in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025, scoring 234 runs in 10 innings for Hyderabad. He could be looked upon as a backup option if Yashasvi Jaiswal/Vaibhav Sooryavanshi sustains an injury.

Born in UAE, spotted a decade later by our scouts in Karnataka, moved to India, spent 2 years at our camps and today, he’s finally a Royal! 💗💪 pic.twitter.com/9VrS3TCjuI

— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) December 16, 2025

Yash Raj Punja

One of the emerging leg-break bowlers of the country, Yash Raj Punja, achieved prominence by picking 23 wickets in 10 games of the Maharaja Trophy T20 2025.

Railways se Rajasthan, lambi kahani likhne taiyyar. Khamma Ghanni, Ravi Singh 🫶 pic.twitter.com/nD688LDqXI

— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) December 16, 2025

Ravi Singh

Ravi was the top batter for Railways in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025 with 218 runs in seven innings at a strike rate of 173.01. He can serve as a finisher or the Impact Player for the side. Meanwhile, Brijesh Sharma was the ninth addition to the RR buys in IPL 2026 auction.

Strengths of 2026 RR Squad

The RR 2026 players list is a balanced outfit with talented players across departments. In particular, the Royals have the presence of experienced all-rounders like Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran, who can efficiently contribute with both bat and ball. Meanwhile, they have a backup like Donovan Ferreira, who is building a strong reputation in the shortest format.

Swagat nahi karoge humaRRa? 😎💗 pic.twitter.com/EGZOTEoGOn

— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) December 16, 2025

The top four of Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Riyan Parag, and Dhruv Jurel are terrific batterswho can win the title for the side. In addition, the bowling talent is fantastic, with Jofra Archer and Nandre Burger breathing fire with their pace and Sandeep Sharma exuding calmness in pressure situations. The trio has strong backups like Adam Milne, Kuldeep Sen, and Sushant Mishra. Moreover, Ravi Bishnoi has a strong knowledge of the nature of the surface in Jaipur due to Rajasthan being his home state. He can pair up with Jadeja in the middle overs to contain the batters with their skills and variations.

Weaknesses of 2026 RR Squad

The 2026 RR squad’s biggest weakness in the first-choice XI could be the presence of too many left-handers. Although all five southpaws among the top seven batters have proven their merit, the matchups could be easy to overcome for the opposition. For example, other teams can employ a right-arm off-spinner, who can bowl from around the wicket to cramp the batters for room in all phases of the game.

Retentions, trades and all the strategies that lead up to 𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀, 𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗮, 𝗔𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻! 🔥

What It Takes To Win: Episode 01 🎬 pic.twitter.com/N1305WSNA8

— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) December 16, 2025

Overall, the Rajasthan Royals are a formidable unit and hold the potential of sealing the playoff spot. The balance of the side is terrific, with numerous options in the bowling department. However, the left-handers on the side need to be wary of being unidimensional with their approach and curate different strategies to score runs.