New Delhi, April 29 Former India batter Abhinav Mukund said the decision from Rajasthan Royals to leave out Ravi Bishnoi in their IPL 2026 clash against Punjab Kings could lead to a massive dent in confidence for the leg-spinner.
Bishnoi, who joined RR this season after a difficult spell with Lucknow Super Giants, began strongly with nine wickets in his first four matches. But his returns dipped, as he picked only two wickets in his next four games while conceding 115 runs in 11 overs at an economy rate of 10.45.
RR chose to replace Bishnoi with 19‑year‑old wrist spinner Yash Raj Punja for Tuesday’s clash, which they won in New Chandigarh by six wickets and gave PBKS their first loss of IPL 2026.
"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. (LSG) didn't make (a mistake in releasing him), Ravi Bishnoi was bowling badly at that point. But I don't think he's had a bad season this year," said Mukund on ESPNCricinfo.
Though Karnataka-based Punja justified his selection by taking two wickets while giving away 41 runs and be RR’s standout bowler in the high-scoring clash, former India leg-spinner Piyush Chawla still questioned the decision to leave out Bishnoi. "I thought he was in good form.”
RR, at third place in the points table, will head back home to Jaipur where they meet Delhi Capitals at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium on May 1.
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