Kunal Singh Rathore

His path to the gloves was not a direct one. Cricket gripped him as a young boy when he and his brother began going to an academy near home. Back then pace bowling was what he loved most, and he modelled himself on Sreesanth, even trying to copy the Indian seamer's bowling action. Over time, though, he came to see that keepers tend to get far more chances to bat than quicks do, and that observation steered him behind the stumps.

Rathore was introduced to senior cricket for Rajasthan across every format towards the end of 2022 and made his presence felt straight away. In that first Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy campaign he collected 147 runs, averaging 36.75 with a strike rate of 128.94. The showing earned him a place with the Rajasthan Royals before IPL 2023, although he was not given an appearance during that season.

The following domestic summer brought further progress. He reached three figures in the Ranji Trophy for the first time, and in the Vijay Hazare Trophy he added 250 runs at 41.66, contributing to a Rajasthan run that carried the side all the way to the final.

That momentum did not last. A handful of modest returns in the 2024/25 Ranji Trophy cost him his spot in the Rajasthan line-up.