Top 3 players Rajasthan Royals can release ahead of IPL 2027 auction

The Rajasthan Royals (RR) somehow managed to qualify for the playoffs of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 as they finished the group stage of the competition at the fourth position in the points table. The Riyan Parag-led side earned eight victories in 14 encounters at a net run rate of +0.189, having won their last two group-stage fixtures. 

Rajasthan will have some vital decisions to make ahead of the upcoming edition as they aim to build a strong squad. The side showed incredible promise in the last season, but its campaign ended in the second qualifier when they lost the contest against the Gujarat Titans (GT). 

With the mini-auction approaching, the management could look to make a few changes to get the right balance. The Royals have a strong Indian core of Yashasvi Jaiswal, the 15-year-old sensational Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Dhruv Jurel, and others, along with the right mixture of overseas players. But there are a few names who got limited opportunities and could be released before the next auction.

The three players RR can release: Salaries, form and the purse savings

Releasing a few players would help Rajasthan free up the purse and open slots for their free additions at the auction. While the team has not declared any release list, here is the list of the top three probable players Rajasthan could consider leaving out ahead of the IPL 2027 auction:

#3 Adam Milne (INR 2.40 crore)-

Adam Milne has gone through a tough time in his cricketing career, not only in the IPL but also across the formats. The right-arm pacer recently had figures of 1/35, 0/33, and 1/43 in the T20I series against the Indian side. Milne came into the RR side in the previous season as a potential replacement for Jofra Archer and returned with figures of 0/41 in 3.2 overs of his only game.

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Milne hasn’t been able to collect a single wicket in the IPL since the 2022 season, having featured in a total of two games for two alternate franchises. Injuries are anyway part and parcel of the game, but that was a reasonable issue for the side, which will get INR 2.40 crore by leaving the New Zealand pacer.

#2 Dasun Shanaka (INR 2 crore)-

Dasun Shanaka, despite being a fine player in the shortest format and earning the reputation of a great player with his all-round skills across the different leagues of the world, hasn’t been able to crack the IPL. In the 2026 season, he was initially unsold at the base price of INR 75 lakh. But RR signed him as a replacement for a price of INR 2 crore, as Sam Curran’s replacement.

In five innings of the 2026 edition, Shanaka smashed 63 runs at an average of 12.60 and a strike rate of 136. 95. In the bowling department, he collected just one wicket across the three innings. RR may release him and get him for a lower price.

#1 Sandeep Sharma (INR 4 crore)-

It might sound like a harsh and hard decision from both the player's and the team management’s point of view, but this could turn out to be a wise decision for the Royals. Leaving India’s Sandeep Sharma will add INR 4 crore to their purse, which is incredibly important for any side to have that space sitting in the auction.

The Indian right-arm pacer didn’t play any games in IPL 2026 due to injury. In the six innings he feature, he picked up five wickets at an average of nearly 45 and an economy rate of more than 11, which doesn’t match his skill and position in the entire career of the league. In 2025, he picked up nine wickets at an economy rate of just below 10.

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Rajasthan struggled in the pace bowling unit in the previous season, and they will need someone experienced in that department. They may also get back Sandeep for a lower price.