Rajasthan Royals (RR) have announced key player replacements after two of their squad members were ruled out due to injuries. South African pacer Nandre Burger and batter Lhuan-dre Pretorius have joined RR for the remainder of the IPL 2025 season.
RR’s pace department suffered a setback when Sandeep Sharma fractured his finger during a match against Gujarat Titans at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur.
Despite completing his final deliveries, scans later confirmed his injury, ruling him out of the tournament. Sharma, a reliable bowler for RR, played 10 matches this season, securing nine wickets at an average exceeding 40.
To fill the gap, RR signed Nandre Burger, a left-arm pacer with international experience. Burger previously played for RR in IPL 2024, delivering seven wickets from six matches. The 29-year-old fast bowler has an impressive record in T20 cricket, boasting 77 wickets across 69 games.
RR secured Burger’s services for Rs 3.5 crore. In another blow to RR, middle-order batter Nitish Rana was sidelined due to a calf injury. Rana was a key contributor this season, accumulating 217 runs from 11 matches, including two impactful half-centuries. His standout performances featured a match-winning 81 off 36 balls against Chennai Super Kings and a 51 off 28 against Delhi Capitals.
To replace Rana, RR signed Lhuan-dre Pretorius, a promising South African batter who topped the runs chart at the ICC Under-19 World Cup 2024. Pretorius will don the RR jersey for INR 30 lakh, aiming to make an impact in the final league games.
Although RR has been eliminated from the IPL 2025 playoffs, they are set to face CSK in Chennai on May 12 and Punjab Kings in Jaipur before concluding their campaign.
