With IPL 2026 starting on March 26, there is some concern about Donovan Ferreira. The South African player was traded to Rajasthan Royals before the IPL 2026 auction. Delhi Capitals traded him to RR, while Nitish Rana moved from RR to Delhi Capitals.
In SA20 2025, he suffered a left shoulder fracture and was ruled out for the rest of the season. He was also selected in South Africa’s 15-member squad for the T20 World Cup 2026 but had to withdraw because of the injury.
Now the main question is whether he will be fit for IPL 2026. If not, Rajasthan Royals may have to look for a replacement, as there are not many options available in the market. Let’s take a look at three players RR can pick if he is not available for IPL 2026.
One of the players that Rajasthan Royals can look at is Daryl Mitchell. The New Zealand all-rounder has been in brilliant form in white-ball cricket. Since November 2025, he has played 14 T20Is, scoring 264 runs at an average of 37.71.
Since the start of 2025, he has scored 913 runs in 13 ODIs at an average of 91.5, including three centuries and five half-centuries. He could be a good replacement option for Donovan Ferreira if the South African is not fit. He can also bowl 1–2 overs when needed.
Mitchell has IPL experience as well. He played for Chennai Super Kings in 2024, scoring 318 runs in 13 matches at a strike rate of 142.60. Before that, he was part of Rajasthan Royals in the 2022 season, where he featured in two matches.
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The West Indies all-rounder could be another option for Rajasthan Royals as a replacement for Donovan Ferreira if he is not available. Since October 2025, he has scored 195 runs in 12 matches at an average of 32.5 and also taken 10 wickets.
In CPL 2025, playing for St Lucia Kings, he scored 270 runs in 10 innings at a strike rate of 144.38 and picked up 11 wickets in nine innings. One of the good things about him is that he can bat anywhere in the middle order and can also be used as a strong backup option.
Delano Potgieter has taken 49 wickets in 53 innings in T20 cricket. He has also scored 1,329 runs in 71 innings at an average of 30.20. He bats in the lower order and is known for his big hitting, with 62 sixes and 98 fours in T20 cricket.
He plays for Paarl Royals in SA20, which is a sister franchise of Rajasthan Royals. So, there could be a connection, and RR might look at him as a replacement for Donovan Ferreira if he is not fit.
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