Rajasthan Royals Star Makes Strong Case To Avoid IPL 2026 Auction After Back-To-Back Performances in MLC 2025
Rajasthan Royals (RR) batter Shimron Hetmyer, has played two successive unbeaten match-winning knocks for the Seattle Orcas, in the ongoing Major League Cricket (MLC) 2025. The batter’s astonishing 97 not out off 40 balls against the MI New York and a fierce 26-ball-64* while facing the Los Angeles Knight Riders, may increase the chances of being retained by his franchise ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 player auction.
Los Angeles Knight Riders vs Seattle Orcas
The Los Angeles Knight Riders (LAKR) put up 202/4 on the scoreboard after being invited to bat first by the Seattle Orcas. An unbeaten 65-run knock off 39 deliveries from veteran all-rounder Andre Russell powered LAKR to the 200-plus total. Finisher Saif Badar and Rovman Powell also contributed with their 41 and 43* runs off 21 balls, respectively.
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However, a 31-ball-43 from opener Shayan Jahangir set up the chase for the Orcas. Eventually, a blistering 73 runs off 38 balls from United States of America (USA) batter Aaron Jones, compiled with the excellent finishing knock from Hetmyer, saw them defeat the LAKR by five wickets. The strike rate of 162.97 is also the highest in a year for Hetmyer in the 20-over matches across the world. Previously, he also scored 30 runs off 16 balls against the San Francisco Unicorns and a nine-ball-21 cameo against the MI New York.
After struggling to register their first victory in the initial five fixtures, the Orcas have now won two back-to-back matches in the MLC 2025. They will next take on the San Francisco Unicorns on July 2.
Retention Chances of Shimron Hetmyer in Rajasthan Royals Ahead of IPL 2026
Hetmyer endured a tough outing in the IPL 2025. The West Indies batter was retained for a huge amount of INR 11 crore ahead of the league. However, his performance in the latest season has raised questions about his retention for the next edition.
Notably, the southpaw failed to chase reachable targets thrice in the tournament. The RR batter was at the crease in consecutive matches when they needed only nine runs off the last over to win the match against the Delhi Capitals and Lucknow Super Giants, respectively. But Hetmyer failed to chase the total in both matches. He also could not finish the match against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru, in the following fixture, when RR required 45 runs off the last four overs.
After these poor turn of events, the big-hitter’s chances of retaining his place in the RR squad do not seem feasible. However, if the player could continue with this blazing form, the Royals management may use the RTM card to re-buy him at a lower price in the IPL 2026 auction.
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