It wasn’t long ago that Ravi Bishnoi was India’s leading T20 spinner. In fact, as of December 2023, he was ranked No. 1 in the ICC T20 bowling charts.
Back then, he was also the leading spinner for Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), having taken 16 wickets in IPL 2023, with a stifling economy of 7.74.
But, over the course of a tepid two-year period, Bishnoi’s stock took a hit.
Varun Chakaravarthy’s meteoric rise came at the expense of Bishnoi’s place in the national team.
Bishnoi’s IPL performances steadily declined (only 19 wickets from IPL 2024 and 2025), resulting in LSG favoring Digvesh Rathi’s mystery spin.
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It did not surprise many when LSG launched Bishnoi ahead of IPL 2026.
Despite his struggles, Bishnoi attracted a lot of attention at the auction and was picked by Rajasthan Royals for Rs. 7.2 crores.
For Royals head coach Kumar Sangakkara, this was the perfect result. “When they put it up for auction, we were sure it was the right candidate.”
In the end, it turned out to be a mutually beneficial agreement. In Royals, Bishnoi has found a new beginning, while in Bishnoi, Royals has found an incisive threat.
Halfway through IPL 2026, Bishnoi is the Royals’ highest wicket-taker (along with Jofra Archer) with 11 scalps.
At the heart of this renaissance has been greater control over the length of his bowling, as Bishnoi himself admitted.
“Last season was difficult. I had a weakness. If my length was wrong, then I was hit with fours and sixes. I played an entire domestic season and worked on perfecting my lengths. Hitting my lengths made it difficult for the batsmen,” Bishnoi said after the Royals’ win against the Gujarat Titans earlier this season.
The 25-year-old has refrained from bowling too much in IPL 2026 and has stuck to the tough stuff. In fact, according to CricvizBishnoi has released only one full-length installment 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 that Bishnoi has adopted. The most notable of those adjustments is a higher release point. At the time of delivery, Bishnoi is now more upright than in the past.
Ravi Bishnoi’s success in the current IPL season is due to greater control over lengths, driven by technical changes like a higher release point. | Photo Credit: PTI
Ravi Bishnoi’s success in the current IPL season is due to greater control over lengths, driven by technical changes like a higher release point. | Photo Credit: PTI
“He has reshaped his action a little bit more. He worked on the angles, he worked on a simple plan. We have a spin coach – Richard Das Neves, who comes from South Africa. He has worked with him a little bit,” Sangakkara said.
The Royals coach, however, emphasized that the credit for Bishnoi’s resurgence lies with Bishnoi himself.
“He is a very hard-working guy. He is a very smart guy when he bowls. A lot of the credit has to go to Bishnoi himself because he has worked hard to come back. So he is hungry and he is bowling well. We just want to keep him like that,” Sangakkara added.
Published April 25, 2026
