KS Rathore IPL 2025: Rajasthan Royals' mystery man who faced just five balls in his debut season. The 22-year-old wicket-keeper batter from Jaipur walked in against Sunrisers Hyderabad on 23 March 2025, blocked four balls and left the fifth one alone, yet the buzz around the right-hander refuses to die. Drafted for his 800-plus runs in the 2024-25 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy at a strike-rate of 172, Rathore’s IPL ledger currently shows 0 runs off 5 balls, 0 fours, 0 sixes and an unbeaten highest score of 0*. Those zeros, however, tell only half the story. Behind the numbers is a fearless top-order dasher who hammered 14 sixes in the domestic T20 season and smashed four 50-plus scores while opening for Rajasthan in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. Royals head coach Kumar Sangakkara has already earmarked Rathore as a “finisher-explosive” for the 2026 mega-auction, hinting that the youngster will be groomed as Jos Buttler’s long-term opening partner. Rathore’s glovework adds another layer of intrigue; he pouched 17 dismissals in the latest Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, the most by any keeper in the competition. With Royals set to play seven home games at the batting-friendly Sawai Mansingh Stadium next year, fantasy managers and data scouts alike are circling 27 March 2026 – Rathore’s probable first home appearance – as the day the “zero” story finally flips into a whirlwind of boundaries.

Hardik Pandya IPL career story: 11 seasons, 2749 runs at a 146 strike-rate, 148 sixes, 10 half-centuries Hardik Pandya has been one of the Indian Premier League’s most explosive batting all-rounders since his 2015 debut with Mumbai Indians. Across 140 innings he has unleashed 2,749 runs off just 1,871 balls, translating to a fearsome strike-rate of 146—the sort of number that turns middle-overs into match-winning passages. He has cleared the ropes 148 times and found the boundary another 207 times, underlining why captains post straight long-on and deep mid-wicket for him from ball one. His highest score of 91 and ten half-centuries show he can both finish innings and anchor them when required. While Pandya’s primary currency is runs, he has also delivered 78 wickets in 107 bowling innings, including one five-for and five three-wicket bursts. Operating at an economy of 9.18 and a strike-rate of 20.87, he often bowls the difficult overs at the death, trusting his cutters and the slower ball. Having represented Mumbai Indians for eight of his eleven campaigns and captained Gujarat Titans to the 2022 title, Pandya’s dual-skill value has made him a marquee name every mega auction.

Note: This overview is partially generated using AI and is based on statistical data. Please verify with official sources for complete accuracy.