Yash Raj Punja was bought by Rajasthan Royals at INR 30 Lakhs.
Rajasthan Royals (RR) are known for scouting and nurturing young and unknown players. One such player whom they picked at the IPL 2026 auction is Yash Raj Punja. He joined RR for INR 30 Lakhs.
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Born in Abu Dhabi, Yash Raj Punja is a 19-year-old lanky leg-spinner who had to choose between studies and cricket. He hasn’t represented the UAE at any level, so the road for him was rather arduous. However, his brother Yodhin Punja, who remains the youngest UAE player in men’s international cricket, has mentored him from the start.
In fact, Yash had enrolled in the Zayed Cricket Academy as a seam bowler, but his brother advised him to shift to leg-spin. This became a major turning point in his distant dream to become a permanent cricket player. In 2023, Yash flew to Bengaluru after ending his school exams, spending time honing his craft at Rahul Dravid’s academy.
In a chat with The National News, Yash explains he was bowling in one of the nets, and the Rajasthan Royals’ camp was on at the same time. An RR coach casually called him to bowl, where he impressed with his skills and was asked to spend more time in the four-day camp. Eventually, the coaches were impressed, and on the fourth day of the session, they called Yash’s dad to talk about his prospects.
“On the fourth day, one of the coaches asked my dad to come and meet him. He told my dad that I show good promise, and that he’d want me to continue my cricket here in India while the Royals look over me and try to help me progress through the year,” Punja tells The National News.
Since then, Yash Raj Punja has relocated to Bengaluru and given all his time to cricket. He has already spent two and a half years here, but remains to serve a mandatory period before becoming eligible to play for the state side. In the meantime, the leg-spinner started first division cricket in Karnataka last year and was also the net bowler for Rajasthan Royals.
Yash Raj Punja has a natural advantage of his tall height, which makes him all the more effective and exciting. At around 6 feet tall, Yash has a sharp googly, which he reveals always came naturally to him, and can turn the ball at pace. His lethal googly was one of the biggest reasons behind his brother asking him to become a leg spinner.
Naturally, he has a high release point and generates additional bounce. All this makes him a solid prospect, someone who can be a wicket-taking option on Indian decks. Then, RR will obviously ensure he has all the right training and facilities to develop more in future.
His major success came in the Maharaja Trophy 2025, where he featured for Hubli Tigers. Yash ended as the second-leading wicket-taker, with 23 scalps at 12.48 runs apiece and an economy rate of 7.45 in 10 outings. He was pivotal in his team’s immense success in the tournament, as Hubli Tigers ended as runners-up.
This put him on the radar of several IPL franchises, apart from Rajasthan Royals, and, eventually, he was sold to RR at his base price at the IPL 2026 auction. Now, he will have a chance to become the first UAE player to play in the IPL. Chirag Suri was sold to Gujarat Lions in 2017 but never made it to their playing XI.
After leaving out Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana, Rajasthan Royals focused on strengthening their spin stocks and bought several quality spinners. At the moment, Yash Raj Punja won’t be a starting member in RR’s playing XI for IPL 2026. They have Ravindra Jadeja and Ravi Bishnoi as two set options who complement each other’s skills.
Then, RR also have Vignesh Puthur as a chinaman bowler. However, Yash can get a chance if Bishnoi gets injured or performs poorly for an extended period. A lot will depend on how he impresses in the nets.
There will be a temptation to use him at some stage, given his attributes and mystery factor. But before unleashing Yash, Rajasthan Royals would want to ensure he develops enough to stand up to pressure in the league. Things have moved rapidly for Yash Raj Punja in the recent couple of years, and an IPL debut in 2026 can’t be ruled out entirely.
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