Rajasthan Royals — 2026 squad, form, fixtures and fantasy picks
Rajasthan Royals coverage for IPL 2026: confirmed squad, fixture list, last-5 form, probable XI, captaincy and coaching set-up, and the fantasy cricket reads the desk is watching.
Season overview
Rajasthan Royals come into the 2026 season as One-time champion (2008), with 3 W · 4 L after the first seven matches and an NRR of -0.477. The desk's read: Jaiswal top-order, Samson captaincy, Archer pace if available, ambitious auction strategy.
The captain is Sanju Samson, the head coach is Rahul Dravid, and the home venue is Sawai Mansingh Stadium. Five players we're watching especially closely this week: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson, Jofra Archer, Riyan Parag, Yuzvendra Chahal.
Squad sheet
The RR 2026 group holds 25 names and eight overseas slots. This list tracks the franchise's last official update; refreshes happen whenever the franchise announces a substitution.
| Player | Nationality | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Yashasvi Jaiswal | Indian | Opener |
| Sanju Samson (c) | Indian | Wicketkeeper |
| Riyan Parag | Indian | Middle order |
| Dhruv Jurel | Indian | Wicketkeeper |
| Shimron Hetmyer | Overseas | Finisher |
| Rovman Powell | Overseas | Power |
| Sandeep Sharma | Indian | Swing |
| Jofra Archer | Overseas | Pace |
| Trent Boult | Overseas | Left-arm pace |
| Yuzvendra Chahal | Indian | Leg-spin |
| Ravichandran Ashwin | Indian | Off-spin |
| Impact: Tom Kohler-Cadmore | Overseas | Batter |
Next four on the slate
RR next four: vs CSK (Apr 13, evening) · at KKR (Apr 17, evening) · at RCB (Apr 22, afternoon) · vs PBKS (Apr 26, evening).
The list above reflects the league's most recent published update for the Rajasthan Royals run-in. Reschedules or venue moves get reflected on the schedule page the same day the league confirms them — and we mirror the change here so fantasy players building a captain-pick slate around the next match aren't planning around a stale fixture.
Fantasy cricket reads for the squad
Where the RR squad overlaps with this week's fantasy slate, here is where the desk is reading the picks. Three pages the Rajasthan Royals captain-cutters tend to land on first:
- Captain picks: tonight's RR likely XI is rated against the next opposition, and the captain-candidate list is ranked by fantasy ROI rather than reputation.
- Dream team: the dream-team builder accepts any Rajasthan Royals player, prints the salary cost per pick, and flags combinations that breach the cap before you commit.
- Orange Cap and Purple Cap: the run-scorer and wicket-taker leaderboards have a Rajasthan Royals filter, which is the quickest way to see whether the form curve is real or noise.
Three tactical matchups to watch
The Rajasthan Royals matchups the desk is tracking this season. Each one decides a different phase of the game — the new ball, the middle overs, the chase, or the death.
Jaiswal at the powerplay
Yashasvi Jaiswal striking at 150-plus in the first three overs is the RR formula. The matchup is against the opposition's best new-ball bowler.
Sawai Mansingh square turners
Jaipur's slow surface rewards finger spin and turns the chase into a six-per-over game from over 14 onwards.
Archer / Boult with the new ball
Two left-arm quicks operating in tandem at the top is the RR template. If both go under 35 in the powerplay, the middle order gets to chase.
Where the form line sits now
The Rajasthan Royals form curve tracks the run-rate scored and conceded across every completed match this season. Sides that trend up in both directions at once are usually top-four material; sides flat or trending down on either axis tend to finish bottom-half. We refresh the RR curve after every match and surface it on the desk's match-report flow.
Probable XI for the next game
The XI that lost to MI:
We anchor the XI around the RR spine — Sanju Samson's call on team balance, the bowler load-outs that match the next pitch, and one overseas slot held open for impact. When rotation is in play, the bench option is named beside the most likely XI so fantasy players aren't guessing.
Common reader questions
Who is the Rajasthan Royals captain?
The Rajasthan Royals captain for IPL 2026 is Sanju Samson, with Rahul Dravid continuing as head coach.
What is the Rajasthan Royals home venue?
The Rajasthan Royals play their home matches at Sawai Mansingh Stadium.
How many times have the Rajasthan Royals won the IPL?
Rajasthan Royals — One-time champion (2008).
When is the Rajasthan Royals's next match?
The next four RR fixtures: vs CSK (Apr 13, evening) · at KKR (Apr 17, evening) · at RCB (Apr 22, afternoon) · vs PBKS (Apr 26, evening). The shortest path to the next match start time is the schedule-fixtures page.
Which Rajasthan Royals players should fantasy players consider?
The captain-picks page rates the RR XI against the next opposition each night, and the dream-team builder prints the salary cost per Rajasthan Royals pick. Pair the two before locking in a captain choice.
Has the Rajasthan Royals squad changed for 2026?
Squads shift at the auction window and through mid-season substitutions. This page tracks the RR squad as it stands today; we update it whenever the franchise confirms a change.
