RR Released Players 2026: Five Players Likely to Be Dropped (ft. Shimron Hetmyer)

Rajasthan Royals were knocked out of the IPL 2025 playoff race on Thursday after a heavy 100-run loss to Mumbai Indians. They are now the second team to be eliminated this season. Fans and experts have been talking about some of the choices the team made before the tournament, especially the players they decided to keep. Even though the fielding coach stood by their auction plans, players like Dhruv Jurel and Shimron Hetmyer, who were retained for big money, have not performed as expected.

It is quite obvious that RR can’t afford to let go of Samson, Jaiswal and Parag. They, after all, are a part of the side’s core team. However, RR can surely let go of some others who are more of a liability to the side.

Tushar Deshpande

Tushar Deshpande was bagged by RR for Rs 6.50 crore. He did have a good season with CSK in 2024 before being released ahead of the mega auction. However, in IPL 2025, he has only managed to take 9 wickets in 10 games. To make matters worse, he averages 45.00 and boasts of an economy rate over 11.

Nitish Rana 

Nitish Rana was bought by the Rajasthan Royals for a big amount, ₹4.20 crore. While he has shown flashes of his talent, the former KKR player has only managed to score 217 runs in 11 matches. For that price, the performance just hasn’t matched up. It’s hard to see why RR would want to keep him on the team next season, as he hasn’t made much of a difference.

Dhruv Jurel

Dhruv Jurel was one of the expensive retentions ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction, with Rajasthan Royals holding on to him for a hefty ₹14 crore. While he has been one of their more reliable batters this season, scoring 333 runs in 14 matches, the price tag still feels too high for what he’s delivered.

It might be a smart move for RR to release him before the IPL 2026 auction and try to buy him back for a lower amount. This would give them more money in their purse, which they can use to go after some big-name players and strengthen the overall squad.

Kwena Mapakha

Kwena Mapakha was bought by the Rajasthan Royals for ₹1.5 crore after moving from the Mumbai Indians, but he played only 2 matches and took one wicket. If RR decides to release him before the IPL 2026 auction, they’ll get back ₹1.5 crore in their purse. That money could then be used to bring in a bowler they’re more likely to play regularly.

Shimron Hetmyer

Shimron Hetmyer was kept by Rajasthan Royals (RR) for a big amount of ₹11 crore ahead of the IPL 2025 auction. But the West Indies left-hander couldn’t live up to the expectations. He scored just 239 runs in the season, with an average of 21.73 and a strike rate of 145.7. More importantly, he wasn’t able to finish games, and that hurt the team, especially during run chases.

RR lost 10 out of the 14 matches where they batted second, and a few of those were games they should have won easily. Hetmyer was often in the middle during those chases, but couldn’t take the team home. His form hasn’t been great, he averaged only 22.6 in the previous season. So, don’t be surprised if RR decides to release him before the next season.

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