By Admin 
IPL 2026: Preparations for IPL 2026 have started and now the teams have intensified their brainstorming on changes in their respective squads. In such a situation, Rajasthan Royals are also preparing to take big decisions. Last season, the team’s performance was not as per expectations. Despite the strong performance of players like acting captain Ryan Parag, young Vaibhav Suryavanshi and wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel, Rajasthan team remained at ninth position. This is the reason why now the management is planning to release some big players.
Sanju Samson’s departure almost certain
The most talked about issue is the release of Rajasthan Royals captain Sanju Samson. According to sources, the franchise has made up its mind to drop him from the team before the IPL 2026 auction. Last season, battling injuries, Samson was able to play only 9 matches and could not do anything special with the bat.
Sanju started his IPL career with Rajasthan in 2013 and since then he is counted among the most reliable batsmen of the team. He has scored 4704 runs in his IPL career so far, mostly while playing for Rajasthan, but continuous injuries and the pressure of captaincy have affected his performance.
Mahish Tikshna may also be out
Sri Lankan spinner Mahish Tikshina was included in the team by Rajasthan last season for Rs 4.40 crore. However, his performance was also disappointing. Tikshina took only 11 wickets in the entire season, that too at an economy of 9.26 and an average of more than 37.
The team management is now looking for a bowler who can prove to be effective in both powerplay and death overs. In such a situation, Rajasthan can turn to better spin options by releasing Tikshna.
Sword on Shimron Hetmyer too
The performance of West Indies star batsman Shimron Hetmyer has been on the decline for the last few seasons. Hetmyer, retained for Rs 11 crore, scored only 239 runs in 14 matches in the 2025 season. He completely failed to play the role of finisher in the team.
Since the 2022 season, Hetmyer has not been able to touch the 300-run mark in a single season. In such a situation, Rajasthan Royals can now release him and bet on a new finisher or foreign power-hitter.
Rajasthan will enter with a new strategy
Rajasthan Royals are now preparing to enter the 2026 season with a new strategy and fresh faces. To strengthen the team, the franchise is looking for experienced all-rounders and specialist batsmen.
In such a situation, it is certain that the next season of Rajasthan Royals will start with a completely new thinking and a new captain.