Rajasthan Royals made a small but eye-catching change on Tuesday, opting for 19-year-old leg-spinner Yash Raj Punja over senior wrist-spinner Ravi Bishnoi in the win against Punjab Kings. The swap came after Bishnoi’s returns had tailed off: nine wickets in his first four matches this season, only two in the next four while conceding 10.45 an over.
Punja, who had bowled tidily in his sole previous outing, repaid the faith with 2 for 41 – the best figures by a Royals bowler on the night – as Punjab’s 222 for 6 proved just short. Even so, the decision split opinion.
“I thought he was in good form,” said former India leg-spinner Piyush Chawla on ESPNcricinfo’s TimeOut show. Fellow panellist and ex-opener Abhinav Mukund was blunter: “I’m not too much in agreement with the Yash Raj call, because I believe firmly that teams who have been successful over a period of time in the IPL have maintained a core of bowlers, or Indian players. And especially when Ravi Bishnoi has bowled well. If you’re going to drop him for another leggie, that’s going to dent his confidence massively.”
Bishnoi’s story this year is one of revival meeting reality. After a lean 2025 with Lucknow Super Giants – nine wickets, economy 10.83 – he spoke of going “back to basics” during the domestic season. The early evidence was encouraging: a four-for against Gujarat Titans and tight spells on slower pitches. Yet once surfaces flattened out, his wrong-’un and skidder began to disappear into the stands.
Numbers provide context but not the full picture. Bishnoi’s ability to attack in the powerplay remains valuable, and Royals captain Sanju Samson has leaned on that option. The trade-off has been the odd over disappearing, especially when length has slipped. Bishnoi himself admitted as much after that Gujarat game: “Last season was difficult. But I tried to stick to my processes. I had one weakness: if my length was wrong then I was getting hit for fours and sixes… I played a whole season of domestic cricket and worked on perfecting my lengths.”
The youngster insists the work is ongoing. “Mental, technical and physical… [I worked on] all three [aspects]. I’ve been putting the physical work too, in off-season, between games and in domestic.” Coaches at the Royals camp echo that view privately: workload management and a minor niggle were also factors in handing Punja a second game.
Punja’s emergence complicates matters. A classical, higher-arm leggie, he offers a contrast to Bishnoi’s flatter trajectory. Royals see merit in pairing them, but the overseas-Indian balance – plus the need for an extra death bowler – can leave only one spot.
Abhinav’s take is that timing, rather than talent, is the issue. “[LSG] didn’t make [a mistake in releasing him], Ravi Bishnoi was bowling badly at that point,” he acknowledged. “But I don’t think he’s had a bad season this year.” Chawla, fourth on the IPL’s all-time wicket chart, broadened the debate, noting that dropping a frontline spinner mid-tournament is rare unless the pitch demands it. In Jaipur, surfaces have offered some turn, so a like-for-like change felt “tactical rather than pitch-driven,” he said.
From the Royals’ point of view, two league points justify the gamble. They chased 223 with four balls to spare, their batting order finally clicking in tandem. In franchise cricket, that simple equation – win and move on – often trumps long-term nurturing. Still, even inside a results business there is room for empathy. Bishnoi, 25 and already 44 T20Is old, has experienced boom-and-bust cycles before; the key is ensuring this dip stays brief.
With a three-day break before the next fixture, Royals’ think-tank will reassess. A return for Bishnoi is hardly off the table, especially if conditions slow up or if Punja endures a tough night. And, with the playoffs looming, the Royals may even field both leg-spinners, sacrificing a seamer on a turning track.
For now, the message from the coaching staff to Bishnoi is likely straightforward: keep bowling in the nets, stay match-ready. Confidence can ebb quickly in T20 cricket; it can also be restored by one spell where the googly lands perfectly, a top-edge flies to third man, and suddenly the old rhythm re-appears.
A small selection call today, then, but one that could shape the Royals’ run-in – and Bishnoi’s own stop-start journey – over the next fortnight.
