Rajasthan Royals (RR) entered the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season with a youthful and promising squad. Despite having one of the youngest teams in the competition, they produced an impressive campaign, finishing fourth in the league stage. RR went on to defeat Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the Eliminator before their journey ended with a defeat against Gujarat Titans (GT) in Qualifier 2. While the franchise got several decisions right throughout the season, there were a few players who could have been used more effectively.
Here are three players underutilised by Rajasthan Royals:
Dasun Shanaka
Sri Lankan all-rounder Dasun Shanaka is one player who never got a consistent opportunity to showcase his full potential. Shanaka featured in seven matches, scoring 63 runs and picking up just one wicket. Most of his batting opportunities came in the final overs of the innings, leaving him with very little time to settle and make an impact.
He is known for his ability to accelerate against both pace, spin and could have been promoted up the batting order in certain matches. Giving him more time at the crease might have allowed him to play match-defining knocks. In addition, RR could have utilised his medium-pace bowling more frequently, especially on surfaces that offered assistance to seamers.
