They signed Ravi Bishnoi for INR 7.20 crore.
Rajasthan Royals made a couple of major moves ahead of the IPL 2026 auction and later added some quality players to complete their squad. The RR Best XI could include a few of the players they bought in the mini auction. How that line-up shapes up will be interesting to see.
The inaugural IPL champions were in the headlines for months for the Sanju Samson Trade, which they eventually finalised. They acquired Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran in exchange. They also swapped Nitish Rana with Donovan Ferreira from the Delhi Capitals. The franchise didn’t need to do much after this, except for a couple of requirements.
Heading into the auction with a budget of INR 16.05 crore, one of their main targets was to get domestic spinners. Rajasthan spent INR 7.20 crore to secure the services of Ravi Bishnoi. Apart from him, they also added Vignesh Puthur and Yash Raj Punja to their spin roster. Which of these spinners could make it into the RR Best XI remains to be seen.
Vignesh Puthur was one of the finds of the previous IPL edition after the Mumbai Indians gave him a chance with little to no experience. He played five games in the tournament, picking up six wickets at an economy of 9.08. He was excellent against Chennai Super Kings, snaring three for 32 off his four overs.
However, he could not find a place in the MI retention list. Rajasthan Royals signed him for INR 30 lakh in the mini auction, but his chances of getting game time do not look great. And that is because of the presence of Bishnoi.
Ravi Bishnoi was part of Lucknow Super Giants for the past three seasons, but his numbers dropped in the last couple of years. As a result, he was released by the franchise. But being one of the rare known and experienced Indian spinners in the market, there was a bidding tussle for him.
Vignesh Puthur recently played four games for Kerala in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. The left-arm wrist spinner managed to pick six wickets in those while conceding at 8.86 runs per over. In the same tournament, Bishnoi claimed nine wickets from seven games at an economy of 8.71.
Not much difference between the two, but experience will likely edge potential when it comes to the RR Best XI.
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As for the RR Best XI, Jofra Archer and Shimron Hetmyer are certainties. The other two spots could be debated. Ferreira is someone who provides power in the lower middle order. For the last spot, there could be a tussle between Sam Curran and Nandre Burger. The latter is a much better bowler, but the former offers value with the bat. Here is how we think the RR Best XI should look like:
Looking at the Rajasthan Royals squad, it looks hard for Vignesh Puthur to get into the main XI. But as he offers variety compared to Bishnoi, there is a case for him to come in as an impact sub, especially on the pitches that offer assistance for spinners.
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