Vibe in one line

A future bet with a nostalgic twist.

What's changed in 2026

To state the obvious - Sanju Samson out, Ravindra Jadeja in. After serving as Samson's deputy and stand-in on several occasions, Riyan Parag has been handed the reins. While Samson's 11-year association with the franchise ends, Jadeja's return marks the revival of a relationship that dates back to the very inception of the tournament.

Statistically the worst bowling side last season, the overhaul of their attack comes as no surprise. The shuffle was headlined by the release of the Sri Lankan spin duo of Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana. The Royals shored up their side with a host of Indian spinners instead - namely Ravi Bishnoi, Vignesh Puthur and Yash Raj Punja - to complement Jadeja.

The revamp extended beyond spin as Fazalhaq Farooqi, Ashok Sharma and Akash Madhwal were amongst the pacers axed. The Royals roped in Sushant Mishra, Brijesh Sharma, Kuldeep Sen and Adam Milne - all likely backups to a pace attack that will be led by Jofra Archer, Nandre Burger and Sandeep Sharma.

Team Identity

24-year-old Yashasvi Jaiswal and his opening partner Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, staggeringly ten years younger, are flag bearers of a team brimming with youthful exuberance. The identity is reinforced by a 24-year-old captain taking charge with Dhruv Jurel and Ravi Bishnoi, both only 25, rounding off their strong Indian core alongside 36-year-old Ravindra Jadeja, the original IPL rockstar and their seniormost statesman.

Youthfulness, however, should not be mistaken for inexperience as most already have years of professional cricket behind them.

Core XII (if all fit)

Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Shimron Hetmyer, Riyan Parag (C), Dhruv Jurel (WK), Ravindra Jadeja, Donovan Ferreira/Dasun Shanaka, Jofra Archer, Ravi Bishnoi, Nandre Burger, Sandeep Sharma, Tushar Deshpande/Kuldeep Sen

Injury/Availability Watch

The loss of a rejuvenated Sam Curran, also one half of their trade with CSK, will come as a big blow to the Royals. They've since signed Dasun Shanaka as a replacement but he's unlikely to match the kind of team balance Curran would have offered.

What they do better than most

Powerplay batting

Jaiswal and Sooryavanshi's fireworks at the top of the order could give the Royals starts that probably only SRH's Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma could match. In seven opening partnerships last season, the duo amassed 422 runs while averaging 60.28 and scoring at 12.17 runs per over. Shimron Hetmyer's timely return to form and his likely elevation to number three further bolsters their top-order muscle.

A player that changes their ceiling

Yashasvi Jaiswal

With Samson gone, Jaiswal is now the nucleus of the Royals' batting order. No longer a rookie with six seasons behind him, expectations have shifted from knocks of fervour to those of substance. In 2025, he had his second-best season (since his breakout year in 2023), piling on 559 runs at a strike rate of 159.71.

Yet, out of the reckoning for India's T20I side, Jaiswal will have a point to prove. It may all just come together with the right combination of flair, experience and hunger. A 600-plus runs season at a high strike rate could go a long way in catapulting the Royals into serious contenders.

What could trip them up

Unaddressed bowling challenges

The Royals were the worst fast bowling side in terms of averages in IPL 2025, and the third-most expensive after LSG and KKR. Their attack will likely be led by Jofra Archer and Nandre Burger with a pivot to an Indian spin-bowling line-up freeing up overseas slots. But Archer's recent returns, both in the IPL and otherwise, remain a concern. Meanwhile, Sandeep Sharma is their most experienced pacer with everyone else being largely untested or unproven commodities at the IPL level.

Their spin attack lacks intimidation too. Ravi Bishnoi still very much appears a work in progress while the others boast slim if any experience at this level. There's no lack of options but the Royals will lean on Jadeja, arguably the only proven performer, to lead and afford control with the ball.

The one to watch

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has already rewritten what was believed to be within the realms of possibility for a 14-year-old. Now, after another year of jaw-dropping antics that included bagging Player of the Series at the U19 World Cup, a century in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and 190 in one of the two Vijay Hazare Trophy matches he played in, Sooryavanshi will have the big stage at his disposal again.

One game to circle

RR vs CSK

There's little time to wonder as the game on March 30 at Guwahati will see Samson and Jadeja go up against their former sides. The fixture will also mark Riyan Parag's first home-game as the Royals' full-time captain.