Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra has identified Ravi Bishnoi as one of the Rajasthan Royals (RR) players with significant opportunities in IPL 2026. Chopra noted that Bishnoi has not fully capitalised on his chances for India and currently does not appear to be in contention for a spot in the national T20I side.
RR acquired Bishnoi for INR 7.2 crore at the mini-auction. In 44 T20Is, he has taken 64 wickets at an economy rate of 7.40. Despite his performances, he missed out on selection for the T20 World Cup 2026 squad, though he did feature in two matches during India’s five-match series against New Zealand.
“What a fantastic opportunity for Ravi Bishnoi. You have wasted your chance a little. He took a lot of wickets. In fact, when he played, he was the highest wicket-taker, but he is now not part of the Indian team. He isn’t part of the conversation. This IPL season can change all of that. So I see a massive opportunity for him,” Chopra said on his YouTube channel.
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Chopra added that Riyan Parag has a golden opportunity to repay RR for the trust shown in him. Parag was appointed captain after Sanju Samson was traded to Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in exchange for Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran. In IPL 2025, he had also led the franchise in a few matches during Samson’s absence due to injury.
“Riyan Parag, this franchise has invested in you at such a young age and made you the captain. Of course, he captains for Assam, but it’s a huge investment of faith. He was made a captain last year as a stopgap arrangement, which was okay, but don’t judge him on that. So this opportunity is massive for Riyan Parag,” said Chopra.
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Chopra noted that Yashasvi Jaiswal has a chance to showcase his white-ball credentials in IPL 2026. He also pointed out that Dhruv Jurel has the opportunity to prove that RR were right in retaining him for a significant sum.
“Yashasvi Jaiswal, what an opportunity. He was part of the winning team in the T20 World Cup 2024, but he disappeared suddenly after that. IPL is the stage where you prove your mettle and show people that you are still there. He is your legit three-format player, but is getting a chance in only one format at the moment. That is a huge opportunity for him. Dhruv Jurel, they spent ₹14 crore on you because of your great potential. This is the opportunity to make it a 400-450-run season, where he stamps his authority,” Chopra concluded.
