Former India all-rounder turned veteran commentator Irfan Pathan said that the Rajasthan Royals (RR) will claim the final piece of the puzzle as far as the team combination is concerned by buying veteran player Ravindra Jadeja before the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) season. He is linked with a return to the inaugural champions, with the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) interested in a trade move as well. Irfan Pathan stated that RR might be tempted to release the overseas pair of Maheesh Theekshana and Jofra Archer for Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran.

“Ravindra Jadeja’s arrival to RR means that they have got the missing piece of the puzzle. They have been missing that all-rounder for quite a while now, and Jadeja’s arrival is a massive benefit for them in that regard. Now, Theekshana could be released because an Indian spinner is coming in. Jofra Archer, there is the Ashes and then the T20 World Cup, so this much workload and pressure on the body, can he manage that? If I am sitting at the RR table, I will be thinking of this. It has been a concern before as well. I don’t think it is wrong to think along those lines,” Irfan Pathan said on his YouTube channel.

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“They won’t release Rishabh Pant after spending so much on him, it is a long-term plan of theirs. They want to take the team forward with him. LSG will think about David Miller, Mayank Yadav, and Ravi Bishnoi. In my opinion, a player like Miller should not be released, because it is difficult to get that kind of skill at the mini auction. Every team wishes that they have a Miller-type player. LSG already have a settled top seven,” Pathan again said.

However, LSG also have many high-value players who had a poor IPL 2025 campaign. The trio of Mayank Yadav, Ravi Bishnoi, and Akash Deep cost the team INR 30 crore, but they could not justify their price tags as well.

“If Bishnoi plays to his potential, then his price tag is justified. Even if Mayank Yadav plays only 7 matches, he is capable of delivering spells that will be impactful for the team. So, LSG will be thinking of this. They will also be thinking of Akash Deep, because his value is close to INR 7-8 crore, can that be used in the purse? But according to me, the more Indian bowlers LSG have, the better,” Irfan Pathan concluded.