3 Rajasthan Royals players who might be benched in IPL 2026

The Rajasthan Royals enter into the 2026 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) looking to right the wrongs of a dismal 9th-placed finish in 2025. With new reinforcements and the high-profile return of Ravindra Jadeja, following the departure of Sanju Samson, RR go into this season with a lot to prove.

With high-profile players who have already settled their places in the first-choice lineup, there would be some players in the squad that might not find game time once the season comes along for the Riyan Parag-led side.

Here are 3 RR players who might be benched for entire IPL 2026:

3. Adam Milne (Right-arm pacer)

A franchise circuit veteran, Adam Milne broke out from New Zealand as an intimidating fast bowler who could bowl over 150 km/h at will. With pace, bounce, accuracy and an arsenal of various cutters and slower balls, he has made life difficult for batters across the world. He has previously played for the Mumbai Indians and the Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL and was picked up by the Rajasthan Royals for INR 2.4 crore in the 2026 auction.

Ahead of Milne at the Rajasthan Royals, there is England’s Jofra Archer, RR’s de-facto attack leader, the returning Nandre Burger and South African hot prospect Kwena Maphaka. Both Burger and Maphaka provide the left-arm angle, which is an advantage over Milne. RR in their ranks also have Sushant Mishra, another left-hander, who was the joint-leading wicket-taker in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in 2025.

2, Dasun Shanaka (All-rounder)

Dasun Shanaka was brought in as an injury replacement for Sam Curran. Shanaka has made his name as a reliable all-rounder for Sri Lanka, contributing with both bat and ball. He adds reliable bowling, middle-order batting ability and leadership experience, having captained Sri Lanka in white-ball cricket.

His place in the RR squad, though, is not a guarantee. Ahead of him in the pecking order is South Africa’s Donavan Ferreira, a reliable finisher, who with his handy off-spin adds a differentiating factor to RR’s bowling attack. And with a wealth of reliable overseas pace-bowling options, Shanaka’s services may not need to be called upon.

1. Vignesh Puthur (Left-arm spinner)

Vignesh Puthur was one of the stories of the last season, breaking out for the Mumbai Indians before an unfortunate injury ruled him out for the season. Picking up three wickets against the Chennai Super Kings on debut, the left-arm wrist spinner showed promise with his bowling, but was released by MI. Rajasthan got him for his base price of INR 30 lakhs in the auction.

With the return of Ravindra Jadeja and the signing of Ravi Bishnoi, the Royals have two frontline-spinners who have innumerable amounts of experience in the IPL. Donovan Ferreira’s off-spin adds a third option, being able to chip in with overs. This would leave Vignesh having to compete over multiple top spinners for a spot in the Playing XI.