Kunal Rathore IPL 2027 stats: the left-handed wicketkeeper-batter from Kota is still waiting for his real break in the Indian Premier League. Kunal Singh Rathore has played exactly one IPL match, a five-ball duck on debut for Rajasthan Royals against Kolkata Knight Riders in 2025, and the outing was cut short by a hand injury he picked up while fielding. Beyond that single appearance, his IPL record is a blank page — but his domestic numbers tell a far more promising story.
Rathore became the first cricketer from Kota to earn an IPL contract when the Royals signed him in the 2023 auction, and the franchise kept him around through 2025, using him as backup wicketkeeping cover. Ahead of the 2026 mini auction, Rajasthan released him, so he now enters the road to IPL 2027 as a free agent. His Rajasthan domestic record — a first-class century of 156, steady keeping, and T20 strike rates above 150 — is the evidence any bidder would weigh. Here is his complete IPL record, season by season, plus auction history, career stats, and what IPL 2027 could hold.
Kunal Rathore IPL Stats Overview
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Kunal Singh Rathore |
| IPL Debut | 2025, Rajasthan Royals vs Kolkata Knight Riders, Eden Gardens |
| Role | Wicketkeeper-batter |
| Batting Style | Left-handed |
| Nationality | India |
| Current IPL Team | Released by Rajasthan Royals ahead of the IPL 2026 mini auction; 2027 team not officially confirmed |
| IPL Matches | 1 |
| IPL Runs | 0 |
| Highest Score | 0 |
| IPL Wickets | — |
| Best Bowling | — |
| IPL 2027 Team | Not officially confirmed |
| IPL 2027 Price | Not officially confirmed |
Who Is Kunal Rathore?
Kunal Singh Rathore was born on 9 October 2002 in Kota, Rajasthan. He did not start out as a keeper at all — as a boy he dreamed of bowling fast, with S. Sreesanth as his inspiration, before realising that wicketkeeping would guarantee him more chances with the bat. The switch worked. His keeping heroes growing up were Brad Haddin and Quinton de Kock, and he models his game on that aggressive wicketkeeper-batter template.
Rathore made his first-class, List A and T20 debuts for Rajasthan in 2022 and quickly became a fixture in the state setup. As a teenager he trained at the Rajasthan Royals academy camp in Nagpur under Zubin Bharucha, the Royals’ director of high performance, which put him firmly on the franchise’s radar. When the Royals bought him at his base price in the 2023 auction, he became the first player from Kota to land an IPL contract — a milestone that was widely covered in his home state.
In domestic cricket he has built a solid profile: 580 first-class runs including a maiden Ranji Trophy century (156), 404 List A runs, and 254 T20 runs at a strike rate that has regularly climbed past 150. In the 2025 DY Patil T20 Cup he smashed 109 runs in just three innings at a strike rate above 200. It is that short-format hitting ability, combined with tidy glovework, that made Rajasthan keep him in their system for three seasons.
Kunal Rathore IPL Teams
| Season | Team | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Rajasthan Royals | Squad member, no appearances |
| 2024 | Rajasthan Royals | Squad member, no appearances |
| 2025 | Rajasthan Royals | 1 match, 0 runs (IPL debut vs KKR) |
| 2026 | Released by RR | No IPL appearances on record |
| 2027 | — | Not officially confirmed |
Rathore’s IPL story has so far been one of waiting. Rajasthan signed him at the 2023 auction and kept him through 2024 as backup wicketkeeping cover, mainly learning from the senior players in the squad — he has spoken about picking up lessons from teammates like Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel and Yashasvi Jaiswal. His chance finally came in 2025, and after the mega auction the Royals rebought him for ₹30 lakh. But the franchise released him ahead of the 2026 mini auction as part of a squad overhaul that also saw them trade away Sanju Samson.
Kunal Rathore IPL 2024 Stats
Rathore did not play a single game in IPL 2024. He remained in the Rajasthan Royals squad as a development wicketkeeping option behind the first-choice keepers, so his 2024 numbers are all zeros: 0 matches, 0 runs, no batting or fielding records. Two straight seasons on the roster without a cap underlined how hard it is for young Indian keepers to break into an established XI.
Kunal Rathore IPL 2025 Stats
| Mat | Inn | NO | Runs | HS | Avg | BF | SR | 50s | 100s | 4s | 6s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 5 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Rathore’s only IPL appearance came on 4 May 2025 against Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens. He replaced the injured Nitish Rana in the playing XI, but the day turned against him early: in the sixth over of KKR’s innings, diving forward at short cover off Akash Madhwal’s bowling, he hurt his hand and walked off clutching it — reports suggested a split webbing. Returning to bat later, he managed only 0 from 5 balls before being dismissed caught. It was a debut defined by bad luck rather than ability, and he did not play again that season.
Kunal Rathore IPL 2026 Stats
Rajasthan Royals released Rathore ahead of the IPL 2026 mini auction, and available records show no IPL appearances for him in the 2026 season. The release ended his four-season association with the franchise that had first signed him in 2023. With career totals still frozen at one match, 2026 added nothing to his IPL numbers.
Kunal Rathore IPL 2027 Stats
IPL 2027 statistics are not available yet because the season has not started. When the season is played, this section will be updated with his matches, runs, and strike rate for 2027, clearly separated from his career totals.
Kunal Rathore IPL 2027 Team and Price
As of now, Kunal Rathore’s IPL 2027 team and price are not officially confirmed. He was released by Rajasthan Royals in the retention window ahead of the 2026 mini auction and played no IPL cricket in 2026, which makes him a free agent heading into the next auction cycle. The auction window ahead of IPL 2027 will decide where — and at what price — he lands; given his age (24), his wicketkeeping, and his domestic T20 strike rates, he is a plausible low-cost target for teams hunting Indian keeper-batter depth. Check the IPL 2027 auction date and venue guide and the IPL 2027 retention rules and purse breakdown for the timeline that will shape his next move.
Kunal Rathore IPL Career Batting Stats
| Mat | Inn | NO | Runs | HS | Avg | BF | SR | 50s | 100s | 4s | 6s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 5 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
One innings, zero runs — that is the entire IPL batting record so far. The sample is far too small to judge, and the injury on debut means even that one innings came in compromised circumstances.
Kunal Rathore IPL Stats by Year
| Season | Team | Mat | Inns | Runs | HS | Avg | SR | 50s | 100s | Wkts | Econ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | RR | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2024 | RR | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2025 | RR | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | — | — |
| 2026 | Released | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Kunal Rathore IPL Highest Score
Rathore’s highest IPL score is 0, from his solitary innings on debut in 2025. His highest scores outside the IPL are far more representative of his game: 156 in first-class cricket (his maiden Ranji Trophy hundred), 79 in List A, and 61 not out in T20 cricket.
Kunal Rathore IPL Auction Price History
| Season | Team | Price | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Rajasthan Royals | ₹20 lakh | Auction (base price) |
| 2024 | Rajasthan Royals | ₹20 lakh (continuing) | Retention |
| 2025 | Rajasthan Royals | ₹30 lakh | Auction (rebought at mega auction) |
| 2026 | — | — | Released by RR ahead of mini auction |
| 2027 | — | Not officially confirmed | — |
The price history shows a franchise that kept investing small amounts in a young keeper rather than a player who ever forced his way into the XI. The ₹20 lakh to ₹30 lakh rise at the 2025 mega auction reflected four years of development; the release a year later reflected a squad reset, not a verdict on his talent.
Kunal Rathore IPL Records and Achievements
- First cricketer from Kota, Rajasthan, to earn an IPL contract (Rajasthan Royals, 2023 auction).
- IPL debut on 4 May 2025 vs Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens.
- Maiden Ranji Trophy century: 156 for Rajasthan, his highest first-class score.
- 109 runs in three innings at a strike rate above 200 in the 2025 DY Patil T20 Cup.
- Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy record: averaged over 35 in consecutive seasons with a strike rate above 150 in 2023.
Kunal Rathore’s IPL Performance Analysis
There is no performance trend to analyse in the IPL yet — one innings is not a dataset. What is analysable is the gap between his domestic returns and his IPL opportunities. As a T20 batter, Rathore strikes in the 130–150+ range in domestic cricket with a healthy boundary count, exactly the profile of a lower-middle-order keeper-batter. His first-class average near 31 shows he can build an innings too.
The concern for any buyer is scarcity of evidence at the top level and the lost year of 2026. The positives are his age (24), Indian wicketkeeping depth being thin across franchises, and the fact that Rajasthan — a franchise with a strong record of developing young talent — kept him in their system for four years. If he gets a proper run of games, his domestic strike rate suggests he could be a handy finisher. If not, he risks becoming another talented domestic keeper whose IPL window stays shut.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Kunal Rathore’s full name?
His full name is Kunal Singh Rathore. He was born on 9 October 2002 in Kota, Rajasthan, India.
When did Kunal Rathore make his IPL debut?
He made his IPL debut on 4 May 2025 for Rajasthan Royals against Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens, replacing the injured Nitish Rana. He scored 0 off 5 balls after injuring his hand while fielding earlier in the match.
What was Kunal Rathore’s IPL auction price?
He was bought by Rajasthan Royals for ₹20 lakh at the 2023 auction, continued on retention in 2024, and was rebought for ₹30 lakh at the 2025 mega auction. RR released him ahead of the 2026 mini auction.
Which team does Kunal Rathore play for in IPL 2027?
Not officially confirmed. He was released by Rajasthan Royals ahead of the 2026 mini auction and is expected to enter the auction pool, unless a franchise signs him beforehand.
What is Kunal Rathore’s highest IPL score?
His highest IPL score is 0, from his only innings. His highest score in all professional cricket is 156 in first-class cricket for Rajasthan.
Has Kunal Rathore played for India?
No. He has represented Rajasthan in domestic cricket since 2022 but has not played international cricket.
Does Kunal Rathore bowl?
He is not known as a bowler and has no bowling record in professional cricket; he is used purely as a wicketkeeper-batter.
Sources and Data Notes
IPL statistics are checked against ESPNcricinfo, the official IPL records, and established cricket publications. His Rajasthan Royals profile page carries his franchise bio and debut details. Domestic figures are drawn from ESPNcricinfo’s career records (August 2025 update). Auction, retention and release details are based on reported franchise announcements and retention-window reporting. Statistics and player information are checked against available reliable sources and may be updated as new IPL matches, transfers, or official announcements are confirmed.
Statistics updated through: 19 October 2026.
