Key takeaways
- RR finished 4th in the 2026 league, won the Eliminator against SRH and lost Qualifier 2 to Gujarat Titans.
- Vaibhav Sooryavanshi scored 776 runs; Jofra Archer took 25 wickets.
- In Jaipur, chasing teams have won far more often than teams batting first.
- This guide uses the 2026 squad; we will update it after retentions on 17 November and the December auction.
RR at a glance
| Captain | Riyan Parag |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Kumar Sangakkara |
| Home grounds | Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur; two 2026 games in Guwahati |
| IPL titles | 2008 — runners-up in 2022 |
| 2026 league stage | 4th — 8 wins, 6 losses, 16 points |
| 2026 top run-scorer | Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, 776 |
| 2026 top wicket-taker | Jofra Archer, 25 |
The 2026 season in brief
Rajasthan changed a lot before 2026. Sanju Samson left for Chennai in the trade that brought Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran to Jaipur, Riyan Parag took over as captain, and Nitish Rana went to Delhi for Donovan Ferreira. Curran then withdrew injured and was replaced by Dasun Shanaka.
They won their first four games, finished fourth, beat Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Eliminator and lost Qualifier 2 to Gujarat Titans. The story of the season was Vaibhav Sooryavanshi: 776 runs from the top of the order.
Squad by role (2026)
| Role | Players |
|---|---|
| Batters | Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Shimron Hetmyer (overseas), Lhuan-dre Pretorius (overseas), Aman Rao |
| Wicket-keeper | Dhruv Jurel |
| All-rounders | Riyan Parag (c), Ravindra Jadeja, Donovan Ferreira (overseas), Dasun Shanaka (overseas), Vignesh Puthur, Shubham Dubey |
| Pace bowlers | Jofra Archer (overseas), Nandre Burger (overseas), Adam Milne (overseas), Kwena Maphaka (overseas), Sandeep Sharma, Tushar Deshpande, Kuldeep Sen, Brijesh Sharma, Yudhvir Singh, Yash Raj Punja, Sushant Mishra |
| Spin bowlers | Ravi Bishnoi, Emanjot Chahal |
Sam Curran (groin) and Ravi Singh (hamstring) withdrew; Dasun Shanaka and Emanjot Chahal replaced them.
Form and numbers from 2026
| Player | Role | 2026 numbers |
|---|---|---|
| Vaibhav Sooryavanshi | Batter | 776 runs |
| Dhruv Jurel | Wicket-keeper batter | 515 runs |
| Yashasvi Jaiswal | Batter | 427 runs |
| Donovan Ferreira | All-rounder | 317 runs |
| Riyan Parag | All-rounder (captain) | 309 runs |
| Jofra Archer | Pace bowler | 25 wickets |
| Brijesh Sharma | Pace bowler | 14 wickets |
| Nandre Burger | Pace bowler | 14 wickets |
| Ravi Bishnoi | Spin bowler | 11 wickets |
| Ravindra Jadeja | All-rounder | 10 wickets |
Two things stand out for fantasy. Rajasthan's top three — Sooryavanshi, Jurel and Jaiswal — scored more than 1,700 runs between them, so their batting points came mostly from the top. And Archer took 11 more wickets than any other Royals bowler, which makes him the clear first-choice bowler from this side.
Core fantasy picks
- Vaibhav Sooryavanshi — 776 runs from the top order; a regular captaincy option in Rajasthan games.
- Dhruv Jurel — 515 runs and the wicket-keeper, so catches and stumpings add to his batting points.
- Yashasvi Jaiswal — an attacking left-handed opener; scores heavily in the powerplay when he gets going.
- Jofra Archer — 25 wickets; bowls with the new ball and at the death.
Value picks and differentials
- Brijesh Sharma — an uncapped seamer who took 14 wickets in his first season; usually much cheaper than Archer.
- Ravindra Jadeja — bats in the middle order, bowls left-arm spin and fields well; a steady all-round pick.
- Donovan Ferreira — 317 runs in his first Rajasthan season; a hitter who can also bowl a few overs.
- Ravi Bishnoi — leg-spinner; more valuable on slower pitches and in day games.
Always check the confirmed playing eleven and batting order after the toss.
Jaipur: what the numbers say
Figures for IPL matches at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium (67 matches, as of May 2026):
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Wins batting first / chasing | 24 / 43 |
| Average first-innings score | 168 |
| Highest total / highest successful chase | 229/5 (chased by SRH in 2026) |
| Lowest total | 59 |
What it means for your team:
- Chasing has won almost two-thirds of matches here — after the toss, give extra weight to the side batting second.
- Batting gets easier under lights, with more even bounce, so the chasing side's top order is the safest batting pick in night games.
- Long square boundaries, shorter straight ones — batters who hit down the ground do better than those who rely on pulls and cuts.
- Guwahati hosted two Rajasthan home games in 2026; check the venue for each fixture.
Full venue breakdown — records, toss trends, pace vs spin and a pre-match checklist: Jaipur pitch report. For a general routine, see pitch and conditions.
Matchups to check before each RR game
- Archer against the opposition openers. Rajasthan's main wicket-taker with the new ball; a visiting top order that has struggled against pace early is a good fixture for him.
- Sooryavanshi and Jaiswal against powerplay bowling. Both score fastest in the first six overs — an opposition attack with expensive new-ball bowlers raises their ceiling.
- Bishnoi and Jadeja against the middle order. Check how the opposition's middle-order batters have handled spin recently.
- Death overs. If the opposition's death bowlers have been expensive, Parag and Ferreira gain value.
Where to look: player profiles and head-to-head pages on ESPNcricinfo or the official IPL site list a batter's record against each bowler and bowling type.
Captaincy in RR matches
- In Jaipur: Sooryavanshi or Jurel, especially when Rajasthan chase.
- On slower pitches: Archer, or Jadeja for two ways to score.
- In mega contests: Jaiswal or Brijesh Sharma can separate you from the many teams captained by Sooryavanshi.
More on choosing: captain and vice-captain.
Recent head-to-head (2025–2026)
Rajasthan's results against the other nine teams over the last two seasons, including playoffs. Washed-out games are shown as no result and not counted.
| Opponent | 2025 | 2026 | RR won–lost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chennai Super Kings | Won, won | Won | 3–0 |
| Delhi Capitals | Lost | Lost, lost | 0–3 |
| Gujarat Titans | Lost, won | Won, lost, lost (Qualifier 2) | 2–3 |
| Kolkata Knight Riders | Lost, lost | Lost | 0–3 |
| Lucknow Super Giants | Lost | Won, won | 2–1 |
| Mumbai Indians | Lost | Won, won | 2–1 |
| Punjab Kings | Won, lost | Won | 2–1 |
| Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Lost, lost | Won | 1–2 |
| Sunrisers Hyderabad | Lost | Lost, lost, won (Eliminator) | 1–3 |
Treat these results as context, not a prediction. Rajasthan have won all three recent games against Chennai, but lost all three against both Delhi and Kolkata.
What to watch before IPL 2027
- 17 November — retentions. Keeping the top three (Sooryavanshi, Jurel, Jaiswal) and Archer is the core of the side; watch which overseas seamers stay.
- 16 December — auction. A wicket-taking spinner alongside Bishnoi would strengthen the middle overs.
- Fixtures (expected early 2027). Count night games in Jaipur — those favour chasing batters.
Sources
- The Tribune (ANI), IPL extends deadline for retention lists to November 17, 2 November 2026 — retention deadline.
- Wikipedia, 2026 Rajasthan Royals season — squad, results, run and wicket tallies, trades, auction.
- Wikipedia, 2025 Rajasthan Royals season — 2025 results.
- CricTracker, RR vs LSG: IPL 2026 records and stats at Sawai Mansingh Stadium, May 2026 — venue figures and pitch notes.