The Rajasthan Royals (RR) are potentially facing a significant reshuffling of their squad ahead of the next IPL season, with as many as six players attracting interest from other franchises for potential trade-offs. This comes after a disappointing IPL 2025 season for the Royals, who failed to make the playoffs after a strong showing in the preceding years.

Among the players drawing attention is their captain, Sanju Samson. Samson has been a mainstay for RR, but other teams, like Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), are reportedly looking for wicket-keeper-batters. CSK, in particular, may be seeking options considering Mahendra Singh Dhoni's age. While Samson has been integral to the Royals, the emergence of Riyan Parag as a potential leader and the presence of Dhruv Jurel as another wicketkeeping option might make RR consider a trade.

Riyan Parag captained RR in some games in the absence of Sanju Samson. The Royals might want to build a stronger fanbase in that region.

The Rajasthan Royals' issues started with what appears to be a subpar IPL 2025 mega auction in November last year. The team management seemingly failed to cover all bases, which cost them significantly during the competition. Following this disastrous season, the franchise is expected to make some tough decisions.

Looking back at the IPL 2025 season, the Rajasthan Royals had a rocky start, with Sanju Samson missing the first three matches due to injury. Riyan Parag stepped in as captain, leading the team to their first win against CSK. However, after Samson's return, the team suffered heavy defeats, impacting their playoff chances. The team's struggles were attributed to the mega auction's impact, where they lost key players like Jos Buttler, Yuzvendra Chahal, and Trent Boult.

Speculation is also rife about which players RR might retain. Sanju Samson and Yashasvi Jaiswal are likely picks, along with Riyan Parag and Jos Buttler. If only four players are allowed to be retained, then RR may be one of the very few teams that will face a big challenge on who to release and retain ahead of the next auction as they look to assemble a squad.

Given the need to rebuild and the interest from other franchises, a significant overhaul of the Rajasthan Royals squad seems likely before the next IPL season.