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With the RR vs DC clash at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium on Thursday generating significant buzz, two of Rajasthan's most discussed players have been at the centre of pre-match speculation, Shimron Hetmyer and Ravi Bishnoi.

As per latest cricket news, both Shimron Hetmyer and Ravi Bishnoi were seen in practice at Jaipur and both have compelling cases for inclusion depending on how Riyan Parag and the team management read the conditions and the opposition.

The Shimron Hetmyer situation: Big price tag, difficult season

Shimron Hetmyer has been one of the most expensive puzzles of Rajasthan's IPL 2026 campaign.

Acquired for INR 11 crore ahead of the season, the West Indian left-hander, Shimron Hetmyer has managed just 72 runs from seven matches at an average of 14.40 and a strike rate of 116.13, numbers that bear almost no resemblance to the destructive finisher who made RR such a dangerous proposition at their peak.

Shimron Hetmyer T20 World Cup 2026 campaign was successful and the class is clearly still there, but converting it in the IPL environment this year has been a persistent challenge.

The practice session footage of him hitting the ball cleanly over the ropes at Jaipur has given fans reason to hope, but the question of whether he earns a starting spot over other options in the XI remains genuinely open. Shimron Hetmyer may come in as the explosive death-overs Impact Player if RR find themselves needing acceleration late in an innings rather than starting in the XI.

The Ravi Bishnoi case: In form and perfect for this surface

Ravi Bishnoi's situation is considerably clearer. The leg-spinner was acquired for INR 7.20 crore and has been one of the most effective bowlers in the tournament, taking 11 wickets from eight appearances at his best of 4 for 41.

His flatter, faster trajectory and his lethal wrong'un make him particularly dangerous on the kind of dry, abrasive Jaipur surface that slows down through the game and rewards quality spin that varies pace and flight. Ravi Bishnoi was named in the impact player options for the Punjab Kings game but was not used, which suggests he is fit and available without any workload concerns.

On a Jaipur track against a Delhi batting lineup that has struggled against quality spin, their 75-run collapse against RCB exposed fragilities in their middle order, Ravi Bishnoi in the starting XI looks like a straightforward selection call.

Also READ: Eshan Malinga takes the IPL 2026 Purple Cap with his 15th wicket as Hyderabad gets a new hero

RR vs DC: Rajasthan's best XI against Delhi Capitals

Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Riyan Parag (c), Dhruv Jurel (wk), Shimron Hetmyer, Ravindra Jadeja, Donovan Ferreira, Ravi Bishnoi, Jofra Archer, Nandre Burger, Sandeep Sharma.

Ravi Bishnoi is almost certainly playing. The conditions suit him, he is in form and he was already in the squad for the last game. Hetmyer's inclusion is less certain and may depend on whether RR feel they need his specific power-hitting capability in the XI from the start or whether they are comfortable using him as an impact option.

Either way, Thursday night at the Pink Fortress promises to be a compelling occasion, RR defending their home record, DC looking for a statement response after the RCB humiliation, and two of Rajasthan's most interesting players potentially both taking centre stage.