Standing at 6 feet 6 inches, Yash Raj Punja is the kind of legspinner who seems hard to miss even in a crowd. Ahead of the IPL 2026 eliminator, the 19-year-old from Rajasthan Royals drew attention at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh Stadium on the outskirts of Chandigarh, where his notably high release point and the extra bounce he can manufacture have been keeping the Royals’ more established batters, including Yashasvi Jaiswal, on their toes.
How Punja’s height became a talking point
Two years ago, Punja’s tall frame was already on the radar of former West Indies fast bowler Ian Bishop. During a stopover at the Chennai airport, Bishop noticed the net bowler in Rajasthan Royals colours. The interaction later resurfaced online after Punja made his IPL debut this season, with Bishop posting a message that he was 6 feet 6 and a half inches tall and that Punja appeared to be at least 6 feet 6 inches as well.
Once Punja’s debut arrived, the story moved quickly from social media chatter to match impact. After spending the early part of his first IPL season warming the bench, he was brought into the XI as an Impact Player against Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens. In that game, he struck with a wrong ‘un to Ramandeep Singh and finished with figures of 4-0-25-1.
From debut impact to RR’s strike legspinner
His rise didn’t stop there. Shortly after he pinned down Shreyas Iyer with spin in New Chandigarh, Punja began to look like a genuine point of difference for Rajasthan Royals. His performances pushed Ravi Bishnoi, who had been the No. 1-ranked T20I bowler not long before, out of the team.
Beyond troubling Iyer, Punja also got Prabhsimran Singh and left-hander Cooper Connolly dismissals in the same stretch, underlining that his value wasn’t limited to one matchup.
Pitch, matchup and what SRH-RR could mean on Wednesday
The venue for the eliminator, New Chandigarh, is expected to host the same pitch used previously at pitch number 4. That matters because, although legspin can thrive when batters are forced to hit through the line, conditions around the ground have not been consistently friendly to every kind of bowling this season.
Across the two SRH vs RR meetings earlier this year—one in Hyderabad and the other in Jaipur—spinners were not given an especially dominant role. In the latest Jaipur encounter, Bishnoi and Jadeja each bowled just a single over, suggesting the batters found enough rhythm to keep the pressure low for part-time or rotation spells.
New Chandigarh also does not currently profile as a haven for spin, yet there is evidence that legspinners can still extract something. In four matches at the venue this season, legspinners have posted an economy rate of 8.8. Left-arm finger spinners have managed 8.9, while offspinners have been hit for a far higher 14.1.
Why Punja could be central in the middle overs
With boundary sizes described as larger than those at the “V” venue, Punja’s wristspin delivered straight from the hand into the pitch could be a practical weapon in Chandigarh. Jadeja’s fitness is also a factor, and Rajasthan have shown reluctance to bring his left-arm finger spin against left-handed top-order options. Sunrisers Hyderabad, in their potential top seven, are expected to carry four left-hand batters, which increases the pressure on Rajasthan to pick the right spinner for the matchups.
- Punja’s economy rate in the middle overs this season is 8.76.
- That mark sits close to top-tier spinners such as Jadeja (8.14), Noor Ahmad (8.17), Axar Patel (8.28) and Krunal Pandya (8.53).
- Because Jadeja is not fully fit and left-arm finger spin is less likely to be used against left-handers, Punja may be asked to manage the middle-overs tempo for Rajasthan.
What the Rajasthan coaching staff believes
Rajasthan Royals’ head coach Kumar Sangakkara backed Punja’s ability to handle the demands of knockout cricket. Speaking after the side sealed their playoffs spot on Sunday, Sangakkara described Punja as an “interesting choice” and explained that he had been involved in the nets for three seasons before being picked for the current campaign.
Sangakkara also noted that Bishnoi had to miss a couple of games due to Punja’s selection, while pointing to Punja’s physical attributes and skill set—his height, the amount of revs he generates, his ability to turn the legbreak and bowl googlies, and his calm nature when pressure rises.
On how Punja bowled to seasoned batters, Sangakkara highlighted the quality of his execution on a pitch described as a good one for batting. He added that Punja should continue to develop, but stressed that the young spinner’s job is to remain composed and trust the skills that have brought him this far.
Path from Abu Dhabi to the IPL via Bengaluru
Punja’s improvement has not come as a surprise to those who have tracked his route into professional cricket. He was born to Indian parents in Abu Dhabi. His elder brother Yodhin went on to represent the UAE Under-19s and the UAE senior team, though injuries eventually curtailed his career. Before moving fully toward cricket, Punja played some recreational cricket in the Emirates.
Then K Jeshwant—former Karnataka spinner—encouraged him to pursue the sport seriously and make the shift to Bengaluru. Jeshwant later recalled seeing Punja during 2023-24 at a coaching camp connected to the Six Cricket Academy. At that stage, Punja was not playing fully competitive cricket, yet the talent was clear.
Jeswant also described how he had noticed developmental traits from a young Punja similar to those he associated with Anil Kumble, particularly linked to height. He said Punja’s bowling at the time still needed refinement because he was falling toward cover due to lateral flexion, but once that issue was corrected, Punja could make full use of his 6 feet 6 inches frame.
In another coaching environment in Abu Dhabi, Alastair Cook watched Punja and believed he had an X-factor. Jeshwant added that Punja’s parents were initially hesitant to have him play cricket, largely because Yodhin’s promising career had been cut short by injury. However, Jeshwant said he convinced them by emphasizing Punja’s serious potential, and he also mentioned that Punja’s father Dhreeraj was once his classmate at St Joseph’s in Bengaluru—suggesting a reason the family trusted him and followed through with the move to Bangalore.
- Punja was born in Abu Dhabi to Indian parents.
- His elder brother Yodhin played for UAE Under-19s and the UAE senior team before injuries ended his run.
- K Jeshwant pushed Punja to pursue professional cricket in Bengaluru.
- Jeswant saw early indicators of talent at a Six Cricket Academy camp in 2023-24 and later helped identify and correct technical issues in his bowling.
- Alastair Cook also observed him in Abu Dhabi and felt Punja had an X-factor.
The RR “Project Player” leap and what’s next
Life offered Punja an immediate chance to test his skills against Rajasthan Royals’ batters. When RR held a camp at the Six Academy in Bengaluru, Punja had the opportunity to bowl to the franchise’s players. He soon became a “Project Player” for the Royals.
After he progressed further—finishing as the second-highest wicket-taker in the KSCA’s Maharaja T20 league with 23 wickets in ten innings at an economy rate of 7.45—Rajasthan moved him into the main team.
Even while he was in the UAE earlier, Punja admitted to procrastinating on studying by watching IPL highlights. Now, on Wednesday, he is set to feature in an IPL knockout game for Rajasthan Royals as their lead spinner.
