Adam Milne sits outside RR's optimal XII with a projected WAR/M of 0.11. His bowling WAR/M of 0.09 across 2279 bowling balls and 114 matches profiles him as a career journeyman pace bowler.

The career numbers are respectable. Milne bowled 394 overs at 8 economy with 136 wickets. His powerplay economy of 7 with 54 wickets across 50% of his workload shows genuine new-ball skill.

Why He Is Excluded

Milne is an overseas player, and RR already have 4 overseas selections locked in (Hetmyer, Ferreira, Burger, Archer). His projected 0.11 WAR/M falls well below Burger (0.17) and Archer (0.36), the two overseas seamers in the XII. His xImpact of 22 is among the lowest on the roster.

The IPL confidence score of 0.79 is decent, meaning the model has reasonable faith in his skill level. The problem is not quality but opportunity cost. Every overseas slot spent on Milne is one not spent on a higher-ceiling option.

What This Means for IPL 2026

Milne is the backup overseas seamer behind Burger and Archer. If both starters are unavailable simultaneously, Milne enters the XI. His powerplay economy (7) makes him a like-for-like Burger replacement, though the death-overs numbers (9) are slightly better than league average. He is professional insurance, not a projected starter.