Rajasthan Royals’ strong run in IPL 2026 was built on a bowling unit that consistently delivered collective performances.
RR set the tone early in the season by bowling out Chennai Super Kings for 127 in their opening match at the ACA Stadium in Guwahati.
Rajasthan Royals’ ability to close out games was underlined against Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, where Tushar Deshpande and Jofra Archer held their nerve to defend 15 runs in the final two overs.
At the heart of the Rajasthan Royals’ bowling was Jofra Archer, who took 25 scalps to finish as Rajasthan Royals’ top wicket-taker in IPL 2026.
Archer became the Royals' all-time leading wicket-taker after finishing with figures of 3/20 against LSG to notch up his 68th scalp with RR. Shane Watson previously held the record with 67 wickets.
Bishnoi, meanwhile, reached a significant milestone during the Gujarat Titans clash, becoming the youngest Indian to 200 T20 wickets. His spell of 4/41 marked his maiden four-wicket haul in the IPL.
Rajasthan Royals’ top wicket-taker in IPL 2026
Player | Wickets | Matches | Average | Economy |
Jofra Archer | 25 | 16 | 22.36 | 9.31 |
Brijesh Sharma | 14 | 13 | 32.14 | 9.89 |
Nandre Burger | 14 | 13 | 31.42 | 10.11 |
Rajasthan Royals have a rich history of standout bowling performances in the IPL.
Sohail Tanvir claimed the Purple Cap in the inaugural season with 22 wickets as the Royals lifted the title.
Yuzvendra Chahal’s tally of 27 wickets earned him the Purple Cap in 2022 - the second time a Royal finished as a top wicket-taker in a season.
James Faulkner’s 28 wickets in 2013 remain the most by a Rajasthan Royals bowler in a single IPL season. However, he finished second overall that year behind Chennai Super Kings’ Dwayne Bravo, who set a then-record with 32 wickets - later equalled by Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s Harshal Patel in 2021.
Best bowling figures by a Rajasthan Royals player in IPL 2026
Player | Figures | Opponent | Venue |
Ravi Bishnoi | 4/41 | GT | Ahmedabad |
Jofra Archer | 3/17 | MI | Mumbai |
Jofra Archer | 3/20 | LSG | Lucknow |
Jofra Archer | 3/58 | SRH | New Chandigarh |
Ravindra Jadeja | 2/8 | KKR | Kolkata |
Brijesh Sharma | 2/18 | LSG | Lucknow |
Nandre Burger | 2/21 | MI | Guwahati |
