5 RR players who could be released before IPL 2027

The Rajasthan Royals (RR) perhaps thought of fulfilling the dream of winning their second Indian Premier League (IPL) title and ending the wait for the fans after nearly 19 years since winning the inaugural edition in 2008. But they again slipped in the knockouts, losing the second qualifier against the Gujarat Titans (GT).

However, the Royals should be proud of what they achieved in 2026, finishing in fourth position of the points table with eight victories in 14 clashes at a net run rate of +0.189. Their season crumbled a little when they faced three successive defeats in the event, but they gathered themselves well in the business end of the season.

The Royals benefited from some of the extraordinary performances, including their 15-year-old superstar, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, and the premier pacer, Jofra Archer, who bowled his heart out with pace and consistency.

A playoff run cut short, tough calls ahead — Which 5 RR stars could be axed for IPL 2027?

However, the bottom line is that the Royals have failed to reach the final once again, as the trophy drought continues. That means, just like any other professional franchise, they will need to make a few hard calls on the squad selection, heading into the IPL 2027 mini auction.

Here are the top five players whom the Royals may release ahead of the IPL 2027 auction-

#1 Shimron Hetmyer-78 runs in IPL 2026

The left-handed West Indies batter, Shimron Hetmyer, was excellent for the national side in the shortest format as he batted in the top order and guided the side to success with some fabulous knocks with the bat. But once he had to be repositioned in the Royals’ line-up, he struggled to get going.

The southpaw managed only 78 runs in seven innings of the IPL 2026 at an average of 13 and an economy rate of 113.04 with the best score of 22 runs. That may push the franchise to leave the southpaw for INR 11 crore or get him back from the mini-auction at a much lower price.

#2 Adam Milne- 00 wickets in 01 innings of IPL 2026

The New Zealand pacer, Adam Milne, was the potential replacement of Archer in the IPL 2026 season for the Royals, who made him play in one game. Milne returned with figures of 0/41 in 3.2 overs at an economy rate of 12.30. He hasn’t been able to pick a single wicket in the IPL since 2022, having played a total of only two games for two different sides.

Injuries haven’t helped him either in the journey, and that could be the reason for the Royals to part ways with the fast bowler and add INR 2.40 crore in their purse. They will have better options available in the mini auction.

#3 Sandeep Sharma- 05 wickets in IPL 2026-

It may turn out to be a hard decision by the franchise to leave out one of the IPL greats, Sandeep Sharma. But the right-arm pacer has found himself against the flow of the event due to the long list of injuries.

Sandeep didn’t play all the games of the IPL 2026. In six innings, he picked up five wickets at an average of 44.80 and an economy rate of 11.38, which doesn’t match his greatness at all. In 2025, he picked up only nine wickets in 10 innings at an economy rate of 9.89.

The Punjab-born may get released by the Rajasthan side ahead of the IPL 2027 mini-auction along with his INR 4 crore.

#4 Kuldeep Sen- No IPL games since IPL 2025

In the last two seasons, Kuldeep Sen hasn’t played a single game of the tournament due to injuries. In 2024, he featured in three innings and troubled the batters with his accuracy and pace, something which has been missing in the last two campaigns.

The Royals may then take their eyes off the Madhya Pradesh-born and get back their INR 75 lakh in the purse. In the IPL 2027 mini auction, they will have several new domestic Indian youngsters to sign, and they can take that route.

#5 Dasun Shanaka- 63 runs and 01 wicket in IPL 2026

Dasun Shanaka was initially unsold during the main auction of the IPL 2026 at his base price of INR 75 lakh, but he later entered the squad as an injury replacement for the England all-rounder, Sam Curran.

In five innings with the bat in 2026, the right-handed batter smashed 63 runs at an average of 12.60 and a strike rate of 136.95, with the best score of just 29. In the bowling department, he got just one wicket in six overs across the three innings.

RR will get better overseas all-rounders in the IPL 2027 mini auction, and they may release the former Sri Lanka captain to get back their INR 2 crore in the purse.