Cheteshwar Pujara picks Rajasthan Royals retentions for IPL 2027; unsure about star opener

Former India batter Cheteshwar Pujara picked players whom Rajasthan Royals (RR) should retain for IPL 2027. (via Star Sports) RR made the playoffs last season but lost to Gujarat Titans (GT) in the second qualifier.

Pujara's retention list for RR for IPL 2027 included young sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Dhruv Jurel, Shimron Hetmyer, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Donovan Ferreira, Shubham Dubey, skipper Riyan Parag, veteran all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, ace pacer Jofra Archer, Nandre Burger, Sandeep Sharma, and young spinner Yash Raj Punja.

Pujara was unsure of several players, with the biggest name on the doubtful list being star opener Yashasvi Jaiswal. Rumours have it that the left-hander may be traded to another team for IPL 2027. He has been heavily linked with the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). If rumours are to be believed, LSG could offer him a captaincy role for the upcoming season.

The other players who Pujara was unsure about in terms of retention included Sri Lankan all-rounder Dasun Shanaka, spinner Ravi Bishnoi, pacer Tushar Deshpande, Brijesh Sharma, Adam Milne, and Yudhvir Singh Charak. That said, it remains to be seen whether RR would want to let go of an established opener and a big name who has also been an integral part of their set-up.

Yashasvi Jaiswal has only played for RR so far in the IPL

Yashasvi Jaiswal began his IPL journey with the Rajasthan Royals in 2020. Since then, he has been retained by the franchise for every single season. He played only three matches in his first year but went on to become a crucial member of the side over the years.

Jaiswal had a decent 2026 season. He scored 427 runs from 16 games at an average of 30.50 and a strike rate of 152.50, with three half-centuries. He has been a consistent performer for Rajasthan, delivering over 400 runs in each of the last four editions.

Overall, he has played 83 games so far and has piled on 2593 runs at an average of 33.67 and a strike rate of 152.79, with two hundreds and 18 fifties to his name. Should Rajasthan release Jaiswal, they will have to look for a solid opener, having traded away Sanju Samson as well last season.

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