Kumar Sangakkara is back at the helm, assisted by new skipper Riyan Parag. Rajasthan Royals will begin life without Sanju Samson in IPL 2026.
A ninth place finish for the inaugural champions, underscored by last-over disappointments in close games meant that change was necessary.
And they secured one of the most high-profile trades with Chennai Super Kings, inviting a grand return for Ravindra Jadeja to where it all began, with Samson going the other way.
Riyan Parag was named the seventh captain of the franchise, which has now been sold to a USA-based consortium for US $1.635 billion (approximately £1.23 billion).
The noise around ownership has settled, and so has the speculation around Samson. Focus swiftly shifts to bat and ball, where all the difference is to be made by the Royals.
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RR Squad - IPL 2026
Riyan Parag (c), Dhruv Jurel, Donovan Ferreira, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubham Dubey, Lhuan-Dre Pretorius, Shimron Hetmyer, Aman Rao, Ravindra Jadeja, Dasun Shanaka, Yudhvir Singh, Jofra Archer, Tushar Deshpande, Kwena Maphaka, Nandre Burger, Ravi Singh, Sushant Mishra, Kuldeep Sen, Adam Milne, Brijesh Sharma, Ravi Bishnoi, Vignesh Puthur, Yash Raj Punja.
Problem-solvers in 2026
They have worked tirelessly in pre-season to right their wrongs.
First things first, they shipped Sri Lankan spin duo Maheesh Theekshana and Wanindu Hasaranga - two cogs that forced their hands - with hometown boy Ravi Bishnoi and Jadeja.
That then, adds flexibility to fine-turn other issues that surfaced last season. For the first time in their their history, they lost five on the bounce. In total, they lost eight out of the nine matches chasing.
It called for action, and RR responded by infusing depth into their batting with Sam Curran, Jadeja and power-hitting specialist Donovan Ferreira. The former is ruled out of the tournament owing to a groin injury, with Sri Lanka's T20I skipper Dasun Shanaka replacing him.
Ferreira, meanwhile, is one of the hottest properties in world cricket at the moment. In the Hundred, he bludgeoned 181 runs at an average of 45.25 with a jaw-dropping strike rate of 235.06. He then followed that up in SA20, striking at 171.67.
Another key question for RR is who bats at one-down. It presents an opportunity for Shimron Hetmyer, who made the position his own in the T20 World Cup. Or Dhruv Jurel, one of the many prodigious talents the Royals have heavily invested in.
Also read: SRH IPL 2026 Preview: Batting Behemoths In Search of Second Title
Death bowling concerns could derail RR's season
RR have, therefore, papered their cracks from last season. But with Curran's injury, there are doubts over death bowling.
Jofra Archer and Nandre Burger are exciting, pacy new-ball prospects, but are susceptible to leaking runs in the backend. The same goes for Tushar Deshpande, who has a knack for taking wickets, but is more of an enforcer in the middle overs.
Huge responsibility lies on 32-year-old Sandeep Sharma. The medium pacer will have to raise the bar with his cutters, yorkers and slower ball deliveries.
It's a team that packs a punch at the top with the youngest sensation in the league in Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, but the fast bowlers would have to ensure they close games off for the Rajasthan-based side.
RR Predicted XI
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shimron Hetmyer, Riyan Parag (c), Dhruv Jurel (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Donovan Ferreira, Jofra Archer, Ravi Bishnoi, Tushar Deshpande, Sandeep Sharma. Impact Player: Nandre Burger.
RR Season Predictions
League Position: 6th
Top Run Scorer: Yashasvi Jaiswal
Top Wicket Taker: Jofra Archer
