Going into the Indian Premier League (IPL 2026) auction, Rajasthan Royals were in dire need of a spinner, having released their overseas duo of Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana. With Ravi Bishnoi available in the auction pool after Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) let him go, the Indian spinner became a priority for the Royals to get at the IPL 2026 auction.
However, the inaugural IPL champions were also on the lookout for a middle-order hitter and former Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) star Venkatesh Iyer was identified as a potential target. But a relatively low budget of INR 16.05 cr meant the Royals needed to be extremely careful with their auction strategy.
In a video released by the franchise on their official YouTube channel, head coach Kumar Sangakkara could be seen explaining how pursuing Venkatesh affects their Bishnoi plan and what could be done to guarantee their targets.
Sangakkara said when responding to owner Manoj Badale if the Royals should bid when Venkatesh’s name comes up at the auction,
“Don’t come in at 4. My thing is come in with a guy you know might want him (Venkatesh) but there’s one guy we need as we all know. Let’s say we go to four we get him. We have 12 to go for Bishnoi, if not that 10 or at least 11.”
The Royals eventually managed to rope in Ravi Bishnoi at INR 7.2 cr and as initially planned, they did not pursue Venkatesh Iyer with KKR and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) engaging in a bidding war with the defending champions locking him in at INR 7 cr.
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With Iyer not part of their plans, RR decided to sign a talent identified through their scouting system in young Uttar Pradesh batter Ravi Singh. They also got him cheap, spending 95 lakhs. Apart from his batting abilities, Ravi can double up as a wicketkeeper, which also addressed RR’s needs after they traded out former skipper Sanju Samson to Chennai Super Kings (CSK) before the IPL 2026 auction.
Ravi Singh boasts stellar stats in white-ball cricket and has looked in exceptional form in the ongoing domestic season. He finished the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2025 campaign, notching up 218 runs in seven appearances, striking at a fierce rate of 173.01. In the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26 (VHT), he is currently the fourth-highest run-scorer with 345 runs at a staggering average of 115.
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