Halfway into IPL 2026, leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi is Rajasthan Royals’ joint-highest wicket-taker (alongside Jofra Archer) with 11 scalps. | Photo Credit: VIJAY SONEJI

It wasn’t too long ago that Ravi Bishnoi was India’s premier T20 spinner. In fact, in December 2023, he was ranked No.1 in ICC’s T20 bowling charts.

Back then, he was also Lucknow Super Giants’ (LSG) lead spinner, having taken 16 wickets in IPL 2023, at a stifling economy of 7.74.

But, over the course of a tepid two-year spell, Bishnoi’s stocks took a serious hit.

Varun Chakaravarthy’s meteoric rise came at the expense of Bishnoi’s spot in the national side.

Bishnoi’s IPL returns dwindled steadily – just 19 wickets from IPL 2024 and 2025 – resulting in LSG to favour the mystery spin of Digvesh Rathi.

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It didn’t surprise many when LSG released Bishnoi ahead of IPL 2026.

Despite his struggles, Bishnoi attracted serious attention at the auction and was picked by Rajasthan Royals for Rs. 7.2 crore.

For Royals head coach Kumar Sangakkara, this was the perfect outcome. “When he was released into the auction, we were sure that he was the right candidate.”

In the end, it proved to be a mutually beneficial deal. In Royals, Bishnoi has found a fresh start, while in Bishnoi, Royals has found an incisive spin threat.

Halfway into IPL 2026, Bishnoi is Royals’ joint-highest wicket-taker (alongside Jofra Archer) with 11 scalps.

At the heart of this revival has been a greater control over his bowling lengths, as admitted by Bishnoi himself.

“Last season was difficult. I had one weakness. If my length was wrong, then I was getting hit for fours and sixes. I played ⁠a whole domestic ‌season and worked on perfecting my lengths. Hitting my lengths made it difficult for ‌batters,” said Bishnoi after Royals’ win against Gujarat Titans earlier this season.

The 25-year-old has refrained from overpitching in IPL 2026, sticking to the hard lengths. In fact, as per Cricviz, Bishnoi has bowled just a solitary full delivery this season. In comparison, in IPL 2025, 12.61 per cent of all his deliveries were full, while in 2024, it was 13.74 per cent.

Driving this improved control are the technical changes Bishnoi has adopted. The most noticeable of those tweaks is a higher release point. At the point of delivery, Bishnoi is now more upright than he was in the past.

“He’s remodelled his action a little bit more. Worked on the angles, worked on a simple plan. We have a spin coach – Richard Das Neves, who’s come from South Africa. He has worked with him a little bit,” said Sangakkara.

The Royals coach, though, emphasised that the credit for Bishnoi’s revival rests with Bishnoi himself.

“He’s a guy who works really hard. He’s a really smart guy when he’s bowling. A lot of the credit should go to Bishnoi himself because he has worked his butt off to come back. So, he’s hungry, and he’s bowling well. We just want him to keep it going,” added Sangakkara.

Published on Apr 25, 2026