They have built a balanced team and should be a strong side once again.
Rajasthan Royals (RR) were one of the two teams that kept six players before the IPL 2025 auction. In the auction, their main focus was to pick some of the best Indian fast bowlers and add overseas spinners to complete their team and build strong backups.
They had already filled most of the key spots in their squad and managed their budget well at the auction. Overall, RR have built a balanced team and should be a strong side once again in the upcoming IPL season.
Sanju Samson (wk,c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Sandeep Sharma, Shimron Hetmyer, Jofra Archer, Maheesh Theekshana, Wanindu Hasaranga, Akash Madhwal, Kumar Kartikeya Singh, Nitish Rana, Tushar Deshpande, Shubham Dubey, Yudhvir Charak, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Kwena Maphaka, Kunal Rathore, Ashok Sharma.
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Every IPL team has a few weaknesses, and Rajasthan Royals are no exception. Even though they have built a strong squad, there are some clear areas of concern that they need to address.
Rajasthan Royals have a problem with their overseas fast bowlers. They have two main options, Jofra Archer and Fazalhaq Farooqi. But both are not in good form right now. Jofra Archer has not done well since coming back from injury. In the T20 series against India, he took six wickets in five matches, but he gave away too many runs with an economy of 10.30. In the Champions Trophy, he got six wickets in three games, but his economy was 6.93 in a fifty over match, which is not great.
Fazalhaq Farooqi was doing well before. He was the highest wicket taker in ILT20 2025. But in the Champions Trophy 2025, his performance dropped. He took only two wickets in three matches and had an economy of 7.28, which is quite high.
Rajasthan Royals will have to choose from one of them. This is a big concern for the team because they need a strong fast bowler in their lineup.
When you look at the Rajasthan Royals squad and their likely playing eleven, one thing that stands out is the lack of proper all rounders in the team. Wanindu Hasaranga is the only player who can be called an all rounder, but even he is mainly a bowler. His batting form has not been good recently, so expecting runs from him lower down the order might not work for the team.
Riyan Parag is another player who can contribute with both bat and ball. He had a good season with the bat last year, but his bowling is still not strong enough. He is more of a part time option and cannot be trusted to deliver four full overs consistently in a match.
Because of this, Rajasthan Royals may have to depend heavily on their impact player. Without a reliable all rounder, they will only have five regular bowlers in their playing eleven. If one of them has a bad day, it could put extra pressure on the team.
One concern for Rajasthan Royals this season is that they might become too dependent on Shimron Hetmyer. He is their only main overseas batter in the squad and there is no proper backup for him. If something goes wrong with his form or fitness, the team does not have another strong option to replace him.
Hetmyer is also the only hard-hitting batter in their lineup who can play the role of a finisher. Last year, they at least had other overseas batters like Jos Buttler, Rovman Powell, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, and Donovan Ferreira. Even though Tom and Donovan did not get many chances, their presence gave RR more options and flexibility.
This time around, all the responsibility in the middle and lower order seems to be on Hetmyer. If he fails to deliver, the Royals could struggle to find someone else who can play that aggressive role and finish games for them. It puts a lot of pressure on one player, which is risky.
Between Jofra Archer and Fazalhaq Farooqi, Rajasthan Royals should go with Jofra Archer. Even though he hasn’t been in top form recently, Archer’s pace and bounce still make him a dangerous bowler. He has the ability to pick up important wickets, even when he goes for runs, which gives him an edge over other options.
Playing more matches will help Archer regain his rhythm and confidence. He has been out of action due to injuries, but the more he plays, the better he will get. Rajasthan Royals should back him because he has the potential to turn games around.
The team needs a strong fast bowler in their lineup, and Jofra Archer is still their best option despite recent performances.
Not having a proper all-rounder means Rajasthan Royals will have to rely heavily on their impact players. They do have some good options in both the batting and bowling departments to cover this gap. Using these players wisely will be key to balancing their team during matches.
While batting second, RR should consider bringing in Shubham Dubey as their impact player. He is a hard-hitting batter who can provide the firepower needed in the middle order, especially when chasing big totals. With RR lacking strong finishers, Dubey can be a valuable option to strengthen their batting lineup.
While bowling second, Rajasthan Royals can consider using Yudhvir Singh Charak or Kumar Kartikeya as their impact player. Yudhvir is a good option when the pitch offers assistance to fast bowlers. He had a strong Ranji Trophy season, taking 26 wickets in seven matches, showing his ability to make an impact with the ball.
On spin-friendly pitches, Kumar Kartikeya can be a smart choice. He can work well alongside Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana, adding variety to the spin attack. Kartikeya had a good season himself, picking up 28 wickets in six Ranji matches and finishing as the second-highest wicket-taker in another tournament with 17 wickets in 10 games.
One possible solution for Rajasthan Royals is to promote some of their Indian batters to take more responsibility in the middle order. Players like Riyan Parag and Dhruv Jurel have shown good form in domestic cricket and the IPL.
They need to step up and support Shimron Hetmyer by playing aggressive knocks when required. If they can handle the pressure, it will reduce the over-dependence on Hetmyer.
Another option could be using an Impact Player wisely. Rajasthan Royals can bring in an extra batter when they are batting first or chasing a big total.
This strategy could allow them to strengthen their lower order without making changes to their core XI.
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