3 Game-Changers RR Should Trade In For IPL 2026

Let’s be honest – the Rajasthan Royals’ 2025 IPL season was a train wreck, and you couldn’t look away. The Royals finished second from the bottom after being so promising a few years ago? Oof. From squandering leads to poor bowling consistency, the pink brigade just couldn’t catch a break. But it wasn’t all bad. Just one good trading window could change everything. If RR wants to stop just flirting with the potential to bring the trophy home, they need to add some serious talent.

Ashwin 2.0

Yes, Ravichandran Ashwin has 38. Yes, he has a forgettable recent history with CSK in IPL 2025. But don’t let those numbers deceive you – quality will out. Ashwin’s last stint with RR (2022-2024) produced some clever spells, smart match-ups, and even some surprise batting cameos. The Royals looked their sharpest with him around, and after their recent issues with spin, they are calling for someone with Ashwin’s control and experience.

RIO experimented with Sri Lanka’s spin duo of Theekshana and Hasaranga this year, but quite frankly, it didn’t work. Both players were battered for over nine runs an over, and neither worked the magic in the middle overs that Ashwin can. A good trade-send Theekshana to CSK at worst, or even a middle-of-the-road Indian pacer, and RR could bring Ashwin back home.

Also read:- From IPL Heroes to World Cup Hopefuls: Uthappa’s Bold Picks That Could Shake Up Team India in 2026

Azmatullah Omarzai

If there is one player who didn’t get the attention he deserved in 2025, it’s Azmatullah Omarzai. The Afghan all-rounder got lost in the mix at Punjab Kings and only faced 41 balls total in the whole season. Don’t sleep on his potential, though — he could provide the stability RR need in their fragile middle order.

While Jaiswal, now Vaibhav Suryavanshi, and Samson seem to virtually lock down the top three positions, Omarzai could easily fit into No. 4, where he could bat like it’s a 50-over game, build an innings, and accelerate when appropriate. And his bowling should not be discounted: Omarzai offers some degree of bowling depth as he can bowl with the new ball and bowl at the death as well, giving RR needed flexibility.

In a team that could not close out games and had a penchant for conceding runs at both ends, someone like Omarzai could fill multiple gaps.

Kagiso Rabada

RR’s pace attack in the year 2025 was like a one-man band — Jofra Archer did the heavy lifting, while everyone else just… ‘tried’. With Sandeep Sharma sidelined mid-year and others all trying to gain traction on professional cricket, there was no surprise that the Royals were routinely hammered in the powerplay.

Enter Kagiso Rabada. The South African quick had a quiet season with GT (just two wickets in four games), but we know his capabilities. Rabada has the pace and bounce, and is a big-game mentality player who can impact. He simply needs a fresh start, and Archer could be the partner to rekindle that spark.

Meanwhile, the Gujarat Titans are purportedly looking for a middle-order batsman. This also presents the opportunity for a potential trade, including Shimron Hetmyer, who had a dismal 2025. This could be one of those rare trades in which both teams can capitalize on—if Rabada ended up in pink, it would give RR the two-pronged pace attack they have so desperately missed for the last couple of seasons.

So, now it is over to the Royals’ management — will you play it safe, or do you opt for a bold move so that the team becomes a champion team? Which trade would you initiate first? Let the off-season chess begin!