Rajasthan Royals (RR) have rejuvenated their squad in IPL 2026 by making major changes after their last season’s disaster when they finished ninth. The Royals made several great trades before the auction and picked up important players at the Abu Dhabi mini-auction to create a strong, well-rounded team.
The Royals didn’t go all out with their budget at the auction but still got nine players in their squad, and among them, the most noteworthy are the leggie Ravi Bishnoi and the fast bowler from New Zealand Adam Milne.
Before the auction, RR made their presence felt in the trading arena. Captain Sanju Samson was sent to CSK, while Nitish Rana switched to DC. In return, Rajasthan Royals obtained all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja, Sam Curran, and Devdutt Ferreira (from DC).
To accommodate the new players, Rajasthan Royals parted ways with some of their players, such as Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Akash Madhwal, etc.
Although the squad has been reinforced, there might be players who will not get the opportunity to play this season. That being said, let’s identify the 3 players who might remain unutilized by RR in IPL 2026.
Kuldeep Sen
Kuldeep Sen, the fast bowler from Madhya Pradesh, could have a hard time securing even one game for Rajasthan Royals (RR) in IPL 2026. He was picked up at the mini-auction for ₹75 lakh but now has to fight for his place in a very competitive and well-rounded fast-bowling department.
The Royals have the world-class pacers like Jofra Archer and Nandre Burger in their fast-bowling unit along with the experienced Indian quicks Sandeep Sharma and Tushar Deshpande. Thus, it is tough for Kuldeep to get the nod for the starting XI.
Kuldeep’s IPL journey has remained inconsistent as he played only a few matches for RR during the 2024 and 2022 seasons, while in IPL 2025, he did not get to play even once for Punjab Kings. Overall, if we consider his IPL career so far, he has appeared in 12 matches and taken 14 wickets giving away at an economy rate of 9.63.
Adam Milne
The game situation could also be difficult for Adam Milne in terms of limited overseas players in IPL. Only four overseas players can be used in the team and Rajasthan has already accounted for Adam Milne by having A-list players like Sam Curran, Shimron Hetmyer, Nandre Burger, and Jofra Archer, in their roster, who may take up the place in the XI before Adam Milne.
Rajasthan Royals have a really impressive fast bowling unit and that consists of Jofra Archer, Nandre Burger, Sandeep Sharma, and Tushar Deshpande. So, the only place where Milne fits in is as a backup in the fast bowling section and he is also going to make the team less dependent on Jofra Archer.
Milne’s chances of getting his hands dirty would only be in cases of rotation or among injuries to the other fast bowlers. In other scenarios, he might just be warming up the bench the whole season.
Yash Raj Punja
Given the situation, Yash Raj Punja who was signed with the expectation to enhance the spin department may not get many chances to play for RR in IPL 2026. The competition is hard for the young spinner as not only Ravi Bishnoi is the main leg-spinner he has to deal with but also the presence of the almost surethru player in every game Ravindra Jadeja. Besides, there are other spinners including the uncapped Vignesh Puthur contributing to the depth of the spin department.
In light of these alternatives, Punja may have been selected as a substitute for departing spinners Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana or as an option to cover Ravi Bishnoi.
Hence, if any of the spinners suffer from an injury or a rotation is required, only then can Yash Raj Punja be incorporated into the playing XI of RR.
