The franchise traded Sanju Samson to the Chennai Super Kings ahead of the IPL 2026 auction.
In the months to the lead up to the IPL 2026 auction, the Rajasthan Royals (RR) have been consistently making headlines for various reasons. What started with former skipper Sanju Samson expressing his intentions to part ways with the franchise, resulted in the wicketkeeper-batter from Kerala being traded to the Chennai Super Kings (CSK). That being said, all the focus will now shift to the RR target players ahead of the all-important auction.
Besides letting go of Sanju Samson, several other players could not be a part of the RR retention list ahead of the mini auction, which is scheduled on December 16 in Abu Dhabi. They traded Nitish Rana to the Delhi Capitals (DC) and also released the likes of Wanindu Hasaranga, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Akash Madhwal and Maheesh Theekshana, amongst others.
That being said, the Rajasthan Royals have got most of their playing XI sorted even before they walk into the auction day on December 16. Openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and Vaibhav Suryavanshi will be expected to set the stage on fire, like they did last season, with Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja and Donovan Ferreira forming a vital part of the middle-order.
However, the champions of the maiden IPL season will need a finisher in the lower middle-order who can help them finish strong in each game. Moreover, it would be an advantage if it is a player who has some spin-bowling ability, to assist Jadeja with the ball in hand. With a purse of INR 16.05 Crore up their sleeve, here is the best overseas player which can be a part of the RR target players plan ahead of the IPL 2026 auction.
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One of the most certain players that the Rajasthan Royals can go after would be Liam Livingstone. The English all-rounder did not showcase any brilliance in the last season of the IPL, in which he was associated with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). However, the potential that exists in his high-intensity game would be where the Rajasthan Royals will be looking at.
Apart from his batting exploits, Liam Livingstone can be an extremely handy customer with the ball. With the signing of Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran, the franchise has added two quality all-rounders in their ranks already. That being said, Livingstone can add to the value via his variety of bowling changes which he brings to the table.
Livingstone can take the ball away from the right-hander by bowling leg-breaks. But he can do the same to the left-handed batter by bowling off-break deliveries – something that makes him a good investment to go for in the coveted tournament. Though the 32-year-old all-rounder could only scalp two wickets in IPL 2025, his economy stood at 8.44, which is acceptable for a spinner in the middle-overs of the game.
To add to that, Liam Livingstone can hit the long ball, and can win games for the franchise from any situation if he gets going. High quality players in the shortest format always come with a tag of uncertainty. But the fact is, when they click, they make sure that they take their respective teams to victory. The ability of Livingstone to hit the long ball would be second to none, especially after his exploits in some major franchise leagues around the globe.
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