Rajasthan Royals (RR) Retention entered IPL 2026 with a strategy focused on strengthening its core group to build on last season’s competitive performance, while preparing to increase its squad depth through the upcoming auction.
Rajasthan Royals retain 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi among key players
RR have retained 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who has been playing record-breaking innings since his IPL debut. Other important retentions include young talents like Yashasvi Jaiswal Riyan ParagAs well as experienced campaigners like Jofra Archer (overseas) and Indian all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, who recently joined RR in a major trade deal. RR’s retention of these players reflects their commitment to a balanced combination of youth and experience.
The Royals released several players to free up salary cap space and open up slots for the auction. This included leaving out some foreign stars and domestic players who had limited impact or inconsistent performances in recent seasons. These moves provide RR the flexibility to bid aggressively for new talent and specialists in the auction to strengthen weak areas like death bowling and middle-order batting.
RR’s strategy for IPL 2026 auction
With healthy purse balance, RR is well positioned for one of the hottest ipl auctionThey aim to fill role-specific gaps and add options, especially in fast bowling and all-round skills, to complement their strong core, Their goal is to maintain their competitive edge while building a versatile team capable of adapting to different circumstances,
RR’s retention strategy balances steady leadership with youthful enthusiasm, indicating a team ready to challenge for the title. Retaining Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel and other key players ensures continuity, while replacing released players will bring fresh energy and new skills.
Also read: IPL 2026 – Ravindra Jadeja opens after joining Rajasthan Royals from Chennai Super Kings
Rajasthan Royals: Retention, Release, Trade and Purse
Released players: Kunal Singh Rathore, Wanindu Hasaranga, Mahesh Theekshana, Fazalhaq Farooqui, Akash Madhwal, Ashok Sharma, Kumar Karthikeya, Sanju Samson (traded to Chennai Super Kings), Nitish Rana (traded to Delhi Capitals).
Players retained: Dhruv Jurel, Joffra Archer, Quena Mfaka, Luan-Dre Pretorius, Nandre Berger, Ryan Parag, Sandeep Sharma, Shimron Hetmyer, Shubham Dubey, Tushar Deshpande, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Yudhveer Singh, Ravindra Jadeja (from CSK), Sam Curran (from CSK).
Purse Balance: Rs 16.05 crore
Remaining slots: 9 (1 abroad)
