Rajasthan Royals have plenty to work on this season, as their performance last year fell well below expectations. The inaugural champions will kick off their IPL 2026 campaign with a high-voltage clash against Chennai Super Kings at the Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati on March 30.
The Royals finished ninth last season with just four wins from 14 matches, narrowly losing several games in the final overs — including a Super Over defeat — and were the second team to be eliminated from playoff contention. Despite some impressive individual performances, poor execution in crunch moments cost them a playoff spot, prompting a significant structural rethink heading into the new season. They will once again look to Vaibhav Suryavanshi to ignite their batting, after the teenage sensation made history in IPL 2025 by becoming the youngest-ever centurion in the tournament’s history, blasting 101 off just 38 balls against Gujarat Titans at the age of 14.
Rajasthan Royals Squad: Riyan Parag (C), Ravindra Jadeja, Donovan Ferreira, Sandeep Sharma, Shubham Dubey, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Lhuan-Dre Pretorius, Shimron Hetmyer, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel, Yudhvir Singh Charak, Jofra Archer, Tushar Deshpande, Kwena Maphaka, Nandre Burger, Ravi Bishnoi, Sushant Mishra, Yash Raj Punja, Vignesh Puthur, Ravi Singh, Aman Rao, Brijesh Sharma, Adam Milne, Kuldeep Sen
Probable Playing XI: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Riyan Parag (C), Shimron Hetmyer, Donovan Ferreira, Ravindra Jadeja, Jofra Archer, Nandre Burger, Sandeep Sharma, Ravi Bishnoi Impact Player: Shubham Dubey
Injury Update: Sam Curran, who joined the franchise via a pre-season trade with Chennai Super Kings, has been ruled out of IPL 2026 before featuring in a single game, dealing RR an early blow in their squad depth. His replacement has not yet been announced. Adam Milne, who was signed at auction to bolster the pace attack, is also doubtful after sustaining a hamstring injury during the SA20 tournament.
With the inclusion of Ravindra Jadeja, Rajasthan have added crucial depth to their lower-middle order and will look to find a suitable replacement for Curran as the season progresses. Head coach Kumar Sangakkara — who has returned to the franchise after Rahul Dravid’s exit following the 2025 season — and captain Riyan Parag will have significant work to do in addressing these concerns. The franchise has shared practice session videos on social media, indicating that most players are available and preparations are on track. Rajasthan possess an explosive opening pair in Yashasvi Jaiswal and the record-breaking Vaibhav Suryavanshi, while skipper Parag and Hetmyer in the middle order will be crucial to their title ambitions. After winning only the inaugural edition in 2008, the Royals are desperate to add their second IPL trophy — and with a fresh coaching setup and renewed hunger, this could be the season they finally do it.