RR's strongest playing XI for IPL 2026

RR bought a total of nine players in the IPL 2026 mini-auction.

Rajasthan Royals have one of the strongest squads ahead of IPL 2026. Before the auction, they traded former captain Sanju Samson to the Chennai Super Kings for Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran. Meanwhile, they also let Nitish Rana leave the side and join the Delhi Capitals as they welcomed South Africa all-rounder Donovan Ferreira.

Going into the mini-auction, the Royals didn’t have any significant gaps to fill. However, one major issue they faced was signing a spinner, as they had released Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, and Kumar Kartikeya.

In the mini-auction, which took place in Abu Dhabi, the inaugural champions bought nine players. Their most expensive player was right-arm leg spinner Ravi Bishnoi, who they purchased for INR 7.20 crore. The former Lucknow Super Giants spinner will serve as the partner of Jadeja in the spin department.

Apart from him, the Royals acquired New Zealand’s Adam Milne while making significant investments in uncapped players. The uncapped players bought by the Rajasthan Royals are Sushant Mishra, Yash Raj Punja, Vignesh Puthur, Ravi Singh, Aman Rao, and Brijesh Sharma.

What could be the Rajasthan Royals’ playing XI?

Ravindra Jadeja could take over as the captain of the Rajasthan Royals. Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Yashasvi Jaiswal are expected to remain the opening pair, as they did last year.

Riyan Parag and Dhruv Jurel are expected to play in the third and fifth positions in the lineup. They can also interchange their spots as needed by the team, as both have shown significant growth in the last few editions.

In the fifth position, Ravindra Jadeja could come to bat. However, he can also potentially send Shimron Hetmyer or Sam Curran, who have proven their firepower for multiple teams in the league. Thus, both overseas players are likely to play the role of a finisher in the Royals’ line-up for the upcoming season.

In the eighth position, we can see Jofra Archer, followed by Ravi Bishnoi, Sandeep Sharma, and Tushar Deshpande in the remaining spots. Meanwhile, one of Donovan Ferreira and Nandre Burger is likely to be featured as an impact player for the inaugural champions.

Strongest Playing XI of Rajasthan Royals-

Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Ravindra Jadeja (C), Shimron Hetmyer, Sam Curran, Jofra Archer, Ravi Bishnoi, Sandeep Sharma, Tushar Deshpande.

Impact player: Donovan Ferreira or Nandre Burger.

For more updates, follow Khel Now on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram