Rajasthan Royals has assembled a young top order, with Viabhav Suryavanshi (15) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (24) opening the batting in IPL 2026. | Photo Credit: Vijay Soneji

When Sanju Samson moved from Rajasthan Royals (RR) to join Chennai Super Kings, it seemed the inaugural champion would struggle to find the glue to hold its batting order together

Samson, who floated between opener and No. 3, adapted to the team’s needs, whether as aggressor or playing second fiddle.

Now that he is gone, the Royals largely rely on a young batting group that has grown together within the franchise – Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel, Riyan Parag, and Shimron Hetmyer.

Jaiswal opens alongside what can safely be described as a once-in-a-generation talent in Vaibhav Suryavanshi.

RR’s batting in IPL 2026 revolves around these five, in that order.

In Suryavanshi and Jaiswal, Rajasthan has found an attacking opening pair capable of setting up games within the first 10 overs. The 15-year-old Suryavanshi boasts an IPL strike rate of 213.37, while the 24-year-old Jaiswal strikes at over 151. Together, they have amassed 567 runs in nine games at a staggering strike rate of 199.65.

Beyond the slam-bang brand of cricket on top, in Jurel, they expect the game to go deep. Against Gujarat Titans, after Suryavanshi fell for an 18-ball 31, Jurel joined Jaiswal in the seventh over with the scoring rate already at 10 an over.

Jurel’s responsibility was to anchor – a role aligned with the lineup’s structure.

The wicketkeeper-batter, who featured lower down the order in previous seasons, has now been promoted in line with his batting style. He brought up his half-century off 30 balls and went on to score 75 off 42, powering the Royals past the 200-run mark.

“I think we have not done a lot of justice to the talent that he possesses. He’s done the hard job. He’s batted at six and seven. But when we had an opportunity at number three, I was the first one to say he has got to bat there, and he showed us why,” captain Parag said after the game on Saturday.

Parag had earlier confirmed that while Jurel is the long-term number three, he himself will bat at four, with Hetmyer at five.

That sense of “justice” from Parag towards Jurel also feels personal.

For a long time, Parag himself operated out of position, hovering between No. 5 and 7 until 2023, used primarily as a finisher while still developing. Since IPL 2024, he has been slotted at four, and occasionally at five, where the Royals have benefited from his ability to counter spin in the middle overs and his overall versatility.

There were concerns about Hetmyer’s declining impact as a finisher last season, when he struck at around 145 from the lower order.

However, following a strong T20 World Cup 2026 campaign – 248 runs at a strike rate above 186 – RR has backed him at No. 5, a role better suited to his strengths, even if it means facing more pace than spin when the top order fires.

RR’s batting template remains consistent with the last two seasons: heavily reliant on the top five to do the bulk of the scoring, with at least one expected to bat deep into the innings.

While Ravindra Jadeja is designated to handle lower-order duties, his recent struggles as a hitter do not inspire much confidence.

The void created after Samson’s exit might have raised doubts about RR’s stability. Instead, it gave the team a young and dynamic line-up that will reap rewards for the long term.

Published on Apr 05, 2026