Rajan Kumar IPL Stats, Price, Runs, Age, Century, Debut, Team

Rajan Kumar is a left-arm medium-fast bowler from Haridwar, Uttarakhand, who entered the IPL spotlight when Royal Challengers Bangalore bought him in the 2023 auction. His story is unusual among IPL squad players: he earned his contract purely on the back of a strong domestic debut season, impressed in the nets for two seasons, but is still waiting for his first official IPL match. Through the 2026 season, he remains one of the tournament’s most promising uncapped pace prospects who has yet to debut.

Born on July 8, 1996, Rajan Kumar was 30 years old in October 2026. He bowls left-arm medium-fast and bats right-handed. RCB picked him for INR 70 lakh in the 2023 IPL auction after he finished as Uttarakhand’s leading wicket-taker in his debut Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy season. The franchise retained him for the 2024 season, released him before the 2025 mega auction, and he went unsold in that auction. In early 2026, his career took a serious turn when he was provisionally suspended by NADA after testing positive for banned substances.

Rajan Kumar IPL Career Overview

Rajan Kumar’s IPL journey began with no first-class or List-A cricket on his resume at all — only a handful of domestic T20 games.

He made his domestic debut for Uttarakhand in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy on October 11, 2022, against Railways in Rajkot. It was an immediate statement: figures of 4-1-8-2, conceding a single boundary in his full quota at an economy of 2.00. He finished that debut season as Uttarakhand’s leading wicket-taker with 10 wickets in 7 games.

That breakthrough was enough to put him on the IPL radar. Two months later, in December 2022, Royal Challengers Bangalore bought him for INR 70 lakh in the 2023 auction.

Kumar did not get a game in the 2023 season. RCB instead used him as a net bowler, giving him the chance to bowl at senior Indian and overseas batters and learn from a world-class coaching setup. The franchise clearly saw enough to retain him for the 2024 season.

He remained in the RCB squad through 2024 but again did not make his IPL debut. Ahead of the 2025 mega auction, RCB released him, and he went unsold in the auction. Through the 2026 season, Rajan Kumar has played zero IPL matches and taken zero IPL wickets — his IPL career exists entirely in squads, nets, and auction ledgers.

Rajan Kumar Year-Wise IPL Performance

With no matches played, Rajan Kumar’s IPL record is a blank sheet statistically. His value to RCB was developmental: a left-arm angle in the nets and a raw pace option kept in the system for the future.

Rajan Kumar IPL Bowling Stats

There are no IPL bowling stats to report: zero matches, zero wickets, zero runs conceded in official tournament play.

His domestic T20 numbers, which earned him the IPL contract, tell the fuller story. In 26 domestic T20 matches through early 2026, Kumar took 32 wickets at an average of 21.31 and a strike rate of 16.31, including a four-wicket haul. His economy of 7.84 reflects the aggressive role he plays — attacking with the new ball and at the death rather than containing.

Those numbers explain why RCB spent INR 70 lakh on a bowler who had played only a few domestic games: left-arm pace with genuine wicket-taking ability is a scarce resource in Indian cricket.

Rajan Kumar IPL Teams

Royal Challengers Bangalore

RCB is the only IPL franchise Rajan Kumar has been part of. The franchise bought him in the 2023 auction and retained him for 2024.

At RCB, his role was that of a development prospect. Left-arm quicks who can swing the new ball are exactly the profile franchises stock in their squads, and Kumar spent two full seasons in the system without breaking into the playing eleven. He was released ahead of the 2025 mega auction as part of RCB’s squad reset, and no franchise picked him up in that auction.

Rajan Kumar IPL Price and Auction History

The INR 70 lakh bid in the 2023 auction was the defining financial moment of his IPL story so far — a strong price for an uncapped domestic bowler with a single good domestic season behind him.

Rajan Kumar IPL Debut

Rajan Kumar is yet to make his IPL debut. He was bought by RCB before the 2023 season, retained for 2024, and released before the 2025 mega auction without playing a single official IPL match.

He came closest to a first-team opportunity during the 2024 and 2025 seasons, when injury concerns in pace attacks elsewhere kept his name in the conversation, but the debut never materialized.

Has Rajan Kumar Scored an IPL Century?

No. Rajan Kumar has not scored an IPL century — he has not played an IPL match at all. He is a specialist bowler who bats right-handed in the lower order for Uttarakhand.

Domestic Career Highlights

Dream Debut for Uttarakhand

Kumar’s T20 debut on October 11, 2022, remains his calling card: 4-1-8-2 against Railways in Rajkot. An economy of 2.00 on debut is rare at any level and announced his arrival emphatically.

SMAT 2022-23 Breakthrough

He took 10 wickets in 7 games in his first SMAT season, finishing as Uttarakhand’s leading wicket-taker and triggering the IPL auction interest.

List-A Debut Form

A month after his T20 debut, he made his List-A debut against Odisha in Mumbai in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2022-23, taking 8.2-1-24-3 — another instant impact.

First-Class Debut

Kumar debuted in first-class cricket for Uttarakhand against Madhya Pradesh in Dehradun in January 2024, taking two wickets in the first innings of a drawn match.

SMAT 2025 Leading Wicket-Taker

In the 2025 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, he again led Uttarakhand’s bowling charts with 13 wickets in seven matches, including a four-wicket haul at a strike rate of 8.34 — his strongest domestic season to date.

Rajan Kumar Playing Style and Role

Rajan Kumar is a left-arm medium-fast bowler who attacks the stumps with the new ball. His natural angle into right-handers creates lbw and bowled opportunities, and he has shown the ability to bowl hard lengths at the death.

Domestic coaches rate his willingness to bowl in the tough phases — powerplay and death — rather than hiding in the middle overs. His T20 strike rate of 16.31 shows a bowler who hunts wickets.

As a batter, he is a right-handed tailender. His primary value is firmly with the ball.

Rajan Kumar Age

Rajan Kumar was born on July 8, 1996, in Haridwar, Uttarakhand. He was 30 years old in October 2026. He has cited Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc as the bowler he models his action and aggression on.

Rajan Kumar Current Status

In early 2026, Rajan Kumar’s career suffered a major setback: he was provisionally suspended by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) after testing positive for banned substances, with the suspension taking effect in January 2026. It was one of the rare doping cases in Indian cricket in recent years. He had not issued an official statement at the time, and it was unclear whether he would contest the findings.

Before the suspension, he was coming off his best domestic season — leading Uttarakhand’s wicket charts in the 2025 SMAT — and an IPL return was a realistic prospect given his profile as a young Indian left-arm quick.

FAQs

How many IPL matches has Rajan Kumar played?

Zero. Rajan Kumar has not yet made his IPL debut, despite being in the RCB squad for the 2023 and 2024 seasons.

What was Rajan Kumar’s IPL auction price?

Royal Challengers Bangalore bought him for INR 70 lakh in the 2023 IPL auction and retained him for 2024.

Which IPL team is Rajan Kumar part of?

He was part of Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2023 and 2024. He was released before the 2025 mega auction and went unsold.

What is Rajan Kumar’s bowling style?

He is a left-arm medium-fast bowler who bats right-handed. He plays domestic cricket for Uttarakhand.

How old is Rajan Kumar?

Born July 8, 1996, he was 30 years old in October 2026.

Why is Rajan Kumar suspended?

NADA provisionally suspended him in January 2026 after he tested positive for banned substances. Doping cases are rare in Indian cricket.