The Rajasthan Royals (RR) franchise experienced a change in ownership ahead of the much-awaited Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season. A powerful corporate consortium led by Kal Somani acquired the team for $1.63 billion, making it one of the largest franchise sales in global cricket history.
After the change of ownership, speculations emerged on social media regarding the captaincy of the Rajasthan team. The new management was rumored to be considering a change, with claims that they preferred opening batsman Yashasvi Jaiswal over current captain Riyan Parag for the marquee tournament.
RR captaincy rumors quashed as franchise backs Riyan Parag
Despite the ongoing discussion on social media, there are no credible reports suggesting that Kal Somani or the new ownership group see Yashasvi Jaiswal as the immediate captain.
Claims circulating that the new management has sought immediate leadership change to boost the overall brand value are completely baseless and factually incorrect.
Rajasthan Royals management had finalized Riyan Parag as their official captain for the Indian Premier League 2026 campaign just a few weeks ago.
The franchise remains committed to its current direction, and Riyan Parag will lead the team when the highly anticipated tournament begins this weekend.
New owner Kal Somani is reportedly pushing for Yashasvi Jaiswal to lead Rajasthan Royals
Despite Riyan Parag being named the official captain a few weeks ago, the new management may appoint Jaiswal to lead its $1.6 billion investment.– ★︎ Rishi★︎ Gurjar★︎ (@RishiGurjar) 25 March 2026
Big update from Rajasthan Royals
Before the start of IPL, a big change can be seen in the Rajasthan Royals team. According to reports, the new franchise owner Kal Somani wants Yashasvi Jaiswal to become the captain of the team.
If this happens then Riyan Parag could be… pic.twitter.com/tjm2DBipPl
– Banarakas (@RitikSriva75) 25 March 2026
Warning of change in RR captaincy!
New owner Kal Somani is reportedly pushing for Yashasvi Jaiswal to lead Rajasthan Royals #IPL2026!
Despite Riyan Parag being made the official captain a few weeks ago, the new management may appoint Jaiswal to lead its $1.6 billion… pic.twitter.com/gyhMsaOv6O
– Cricket Central (@CricketCentral) 25 March 2026
New owner for RR
This means that the captain of RR will be Jaiswal. Because the owner has changed so he will keep the capable captain right? https://t.co/33VjAQxXll pic.twitter.com/dMyNgOKDOy
– Venky Mama (@venkymama100) 24 March 2026
New owner for RR
This means that the captain of RR will be Jaiswal. Because the owner has changed so he will keep the capable captain right? https://t.co/33VjAQxXll pic.twitter.com/dMyNgOKDOy
– Venky Mama (@venkymama100) 24 March 2026
This was the reason for making Riyan Parag the captain. Before RR was sold the owner knew that Ryan could get good fame and a place in the Indian team.. and the new owner will definitely make Jaiswal the captain. pic.twitter.com/1jtBG6Gl6h
– 𝗥.𝘃 (@raviindergurjar) 24 March 2026
The new franchise will probably not make Riyan Parag the captain. It is a well-known fact that the previous owners had a soft spot for him, but the new management will probably choose Yashasvi Jaiswal as it will boost the brand value of Rajasthan Royals.
– Lakshya Solanki (@lk_2131) 24 March 2026
Only the men’s team of RR was sold for $1.63 billion and both the men’s and women’s teams of RCB were sold for $1.78 billion. RCB is given less importance here because they are far better in terms of brand value and popularity. There is a possibility that next year RR will get a new captain in the form of Jaiswal. #IPL2026 #RR #rcb
– IPL Extra (@IPL_Extra) 24 March 2026
Riyan Parag faces pressure ahead of first full-time captaincy role
Riyan Parag is facing immense pressure in his first full-time stint as franchise captain. The 24-year-old led Rajasthan Royals in eight matches last season when former captain Sanju Samson was unavailable due to injuries.
The team ultimately finished ninth in the standings after achieving only four wins overall. Rajasthan Royals traded Sanju Samson to Chennai Super Kings during the off-season, bringing in experienced all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran to the squad.
Despite having established international stars like Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel and Yashasvi Jaiswal available, the management has confidently backed Riyan Parag to lead the team this season.
Despite struggling with inconsistency as the stand-in leader, Riyan Parag produced a strong individual performance. He was the second highest run-scorer for the Royals last year with 393 runs. Earlier in 2024, he had scored 573 runs at an excellent average of more than 52.
Rajasthan Royals valuation increased before IPL 2026
The recent $1.63 billion acquisition highlights a staggering 2,300 percent growth for Rajasthan Royals. When the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) launched the tournament in 2008, Emerging Media Group purchased the team for just $67 million, making it the cheapest franchise at that time.
Riyan Parag will lead his team when the IPL 2026 campaign begins on March 30. Rajasthan Royals will host Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in Guwahati for their opening match. After this, they will face Gujarat Titans (GT) in Ahmedabad on April 4 for their second match.
Returning to their home ground in Guwahati, Rajasthan Royals will host Mumbai Indians (MI) on April 7. Three days later, they will face defending champions Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) on April 10. The franchise hopes that their young captain can deliver better results this season.
Also read: ‘IPL teams may start canceling young English players’: Aakash Chopra on Ben Duckett controversy
