Here is the list of players that Rajasthan Royals could release ahead of the IPL 2026 auction.
Rajasthan Royals (RR) endured a disappointing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 campaign. They finished in ninth place with eight points from 14 matches. This meant that the trophy drought of the inaugural IPL champions extended for another year.
RR’s forgettable IPL 2025 campaign has also meant that the futures of some of their key players, including Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana, are uncertain. They will have some serious business to be done at the IPL 2026 auction that will take place in a few months.
Let’s now take a look at the Rajasthan Royals likely released players list and the players that they could target at the IPL 2026 mini-auction:
The Royals could undergo multiple changes within their squad ahead of IPL 2026. Here’s a look at the likely RR Released Players List:
Rajasthan Royals will look to revamp their squad before IPL 2026. Here’s a look at some of the big players and why they feature in the expected RR Released Players List:
Nitish Rana is considered to be quite strong against spinners, but that wasn’t the case in IPL 2025. According to ESPNCricinfo, Nitish Rana scored just 91 runs from six innings against spinners and was dismissed four times. In IPL 2025 overall, Nitish Rana managed to score just 217 runs from 11 matches that included only two fifties.
Rajasthan Royals had acquired Wanindu Hasaranga for INR 5.25 crore, but the Sri Lanka spinner has had an underwhelming season. From 11 matches, he managed to take just 11 wickets at a forgettable average of 33.03 and an economy rate of 9.05.
Sri Lanka’s Maheesh Theekshana had a subpar run with the Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2025. He took just 11 wickets from as many matches at an average of 37.27 and an economy rate of 9.76. This performance might just not be enough for Theekshana to get a retention for IPL 2026.
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Here’s how the RR squad might look after retentions and releases:
Category: Retained
Sanju Samson, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Shimron Hetmyer, Sandeep Sharma, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Shubham Dubey, Yudhvir Singh Charak, Akash Madhwal, Kwena Maphaka, Ashok Sharma, Jofra Archer.
Category: Released
Wanindu Hasaranga, Kunal Singh Rathore, Tushar Deshpande, Kumar Kartikeya, Maheesh Theekshana, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Nandre Burger.
Captaincy Status
Sanju Samson was Rajasthan Royals’ official captain, but Riyan Parag led them in a few games because of the former’s injury. Parag could take over as full-time captain if the Royals part ways with Samson.
Rajasthan Royals could eye Shivam Dube as a possible replacement for Nitish Rana. With Shimron Hetmyer disappointing and Nitish Rana inconsistent in IPL 2025, the Royals will be looking for a proven finisher, and Shivam Dube could be the answer. There are also reports that RR could sign Shivam Dube as part of a trade deal.
With Wanindu Hasaranga on the verge of being released, Rajasthan Royals could look at Yuzvendra Chahal to change their spin bowling fortunes. The Haryana spinner is well aware of the Royals franchise, having played for them from 2022 to 2024 and taken 66 wickets.
Like Yuzvendra Chahal, New Zealand has previously played for Rajasthan Royals. He also played for the Royals between 2022 and 2024 and took 45 wickets from 42 matches during this period. Trent Boult could be in big demand if Mumbai Indians decide to let him go ahead of the IPL 2026 auction, and should that be the case, RR have every reason to go for him. Especially after their core pacers, including Jofra Archer, endured a subpar IPL 2025.
Rajasthan Royals could likely release Nitish Rana, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Nandre Burger, and Kumar Karthikeya.
Rajasthan Royals could eye Shivam Dube as a replacement for Nitish Rana.
Rajasthan Royals could look at welcoming back Yuzvendra Chahal should they part ways with Wanindu Hasaranga.
Rajasthan Royals can look at Afghanistan spinner Noor Ahmad as Maheesh Theekshana’s replacement. Mitchell Santner and Mujeeb Ur Rahman could also be good options.
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