3 Potential Impact Player Options For Rajasthan Royals In IPL 2025

3 Impact Players for Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2025 [Source: @iplt20.com]

Rajasthan Royals have long been known for their ability to discover and nurture exciting talents. As they prepare for the 2025 season, the team management will be eager to identify match-winners capable of shifting momentum with game-changing performances. With the Impact Player rule adding a strategic layer to team selections, Rajasthan Royals have the opportunity to deploy specialists who can make an immediate difference in crunch moments.

Ahead of the IPL 2025 season, we will identify three potential players who can become match-defining Impact Player options for the Rajasthan Royals. To start off, we take a look at their strongest playing XI.

Rajasthan Royals strongest XI for IPL 2025:

Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson (c & wk), Nitish Rana, Riyan Parag, Shimron Hetmyer, Dhruv Jurel, Shubham Dubey, Jofra Archer, Wanindu Hasaranga, Tushar Deshpande and Maheesh Theekshana.

1. Akash Madhwal

Akash Madhwal IPL Stats

Ex-Mumbai Indians fast bowler Akash Madhwal was snapped up by the Rajasthan Royals franchise at the IPL 2025 mega auction. Madhwal’s ability of nailing yorkers and generating sheer pace makes him a formidable asset with the ball. He also holds the distinction of recording one of IPL’s best-ever bowling figures, when he shattered LSG in the Eliminator of IPL 2023 with figures of 5-5 from 3.3 overs.

Since the cricketer averages a measly 5.50 with the bat after featuring in 46 T20 matches, the 31-year-old might well be considered as one of the ‘Impact Player’ options by captain Sanju Samson and by the Rajasthan Royals team management.

2. Kumar Kartikeya

Kumar Kartikeya SMAT 2024-25 Stats

Kumar Kartikeya picked up wickets in a canter for Madhya Pradesh in the recently-concluded Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024-25 season, bagging 17 scalps in just 10 matches to finish as the second highest wicket-taker of the tournament.

Much like fast bowler Akash Madhwal, Kartikeya is also an ex-Mumbai Indians alumni recruited by the Rajasthan Royals franchise on the day of the IPL 2025 mega auction. The left-arm spinner surely justified his selection by picking up 26 wickets across all white-ball games played by Madhya Pradesh during India’s domestic season in the lead-up to the IPL.

With no notable success with the bat in either List A or T20 cricket for Kumar Kartikeya, the 27-year-old is another candidate to become Rajasthan Royals’ ‘Impact Player’, at least in matches played on seemingly turning surfaces.

3. Vaibhav Suryavanshi

Vaibhav Suryavanshi Under-19 Asia Cup 2024 Stats

Teenage sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi rose to the ranks with a prolific Under-19 Asia Cup campaign for the Indian team in Sharjah in December last year. Plundering match-winning scores of 46-ball 76* and 36-ball 67 against UAE and Sri Lanka respectively, the 13-year-old batting prodigy also made his all-format debut for Bihar during the 2024-25 Indian domestic season around the same period.

Set to become the youngest cricketer in history to take field in an IPL game this season, Suryavanshi can also be employed as an ‘Impact Player’ by the Rajasthan Royals from time to time.

---

ALSO READ

Rajasthan Royals IPL Schedule 2025: Fixtures, Venues, Full Squad, Date & Time

---