Rajasthan Royals will be desperate to end their trophy drought when they take the field in the IPL 2026. The former champions have to nail their playing XI well if they are to mount a strong challenge in the tournament.
Looking at the Rajasthan Royals IPL 2026 squad, there is enough firepower in the batting department despite them trading out Sanju Samson to Chennai Super Kings. But how will the batting unit shape up and who will bat at number three? These are the questions they need to find clarity on sooner.
In the previous IPL edition, Rajasthan Royals had several issues in the squad, including stability in the batting unit for various reasons. Just talking about the number three spot, they had multiple players batting there. Riyan Parag batted five innings at the spot while Samson batted twice, and Nitish Rana on other occasions.
For IPL 2026, the franchise has brought in Ravindra Jadeja, Sam Curran, and Donovan Ferreira, all of whom are likely to form the middle and lower middle order. They have multiple options for the number three role, including Shimron Hetmyer, Parag, Dhruv Jurel, and Lhuan-dre Pretorius.
Jurel and Hetmyer played as finishers in the previous season while Pretorius may not start in the playing XI.
Riyan Parag made 110 runs from no.3 in the last season at an average of 27.5 and strike rate of 147. These numbers do not give justice to him as he was a bit too aggressive. He fared much better at number four, scoring 283 runs at an average of 35.4 while striking at 176.
Rajasthan Royals have two destructive openers in Yashasvi Jaiswal and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. What they need at number three is a calm head. A player who can keep up with the rate and can also play the situation. Insert Shimron Hetmyer.
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The West Indian star has been the designated finisher for Rajasthan Royals since 2022. He had a great couple of years in that role, making 613 runs at an average of 41 and strike rate of 153. But he has lost his way in the last two years, striking at 151 while averaging just 22.
T20 World Cup ಇತಿಹಾಸದಲ್ಲಿ West Indies ಪರ ಅತಿ ವೇಗದ FIFTY ಬಾರಿಸಿ Hetmyer ಹೊಸ ದಾಖಲೆ ಬರೆದಿದ್ದಾರೆ.🫡💥
— Star Sports Kannada (@StarSportsKan) February 23, 2026
ವೀಕ್ಷಿಸಿ | ICC Men’s #T20WorldCup SUPER 8 | #ZIMvsWI | LIVE NOW | ನಿಮ್ಮ Star Sports ಕನ್ನಡ & JioHotstar ನಲ್ಲಿ. pic.twitter.com/gcvCSUGKoj
Hetmyer has recently found a new lease of life higher up in the order. Batting at number three, he amassed 248 runs in the T20 World Cup at an average of 41 and strike rate of 186. With such returns to back his case, Rajasthan Royals should try him at three in IPL 2026, followed by Parag at four. If the pair clicks at these slots their campaign will be in a good shape as they hope to win their second title.
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