Rajasthan Royals (RR) parted ways with their long-time captain Sanju Samson, swapping the Indian wicketkeeper-batsman to Chennai Super Kings (CSK), and brought a new brand into the camp by adding Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran for IPL 2026.
However, Rajasthan Royals still face the toughest task as they are yet to choose their captain after the departure of Sanju Samson. Last season, Riyan Parag led the 2008 IPL champions in 8 matches, winning 2 and losing 6 games. This was the Assam all-rounder’s first season as IPL captain.
Riyan Parag has maintained silence amid speculations about captaincy of Rajasthan Royals.
Interestingly, Parag is also currently leading his Assam cricket team in the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025, where both he and the team have performed tremendously. Adding a twist to it, both Yashasvi Jaiswal and Dhruv Jurel aspire to lead RR in the league.
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Even the Indian opening batsman has declared several times that he wants to captain the Royals, while some reports have suggested that the team management has stopped Jurel from leaving the franchise on the promise of leadership. Not only this, Ravindran Jadeja has reportedly joined RR for captaincy, which was also promised by the team management and owner.
Amidst the speculation and dilemma, Riyan Parag remains calm and says that he is not thinking much about the captaincy of Rajasthan Royals right now. “I captained seven to eight matches in the IPL last season. In the dressing room, when we analyzed decisions, I got 80 to 85 percent of the things right,” Sportstar quoted Parag as saying.
RR will decide on captaincy after IPL 2026 auction
Parag also revealed that Rajasthan Royals owner Manoj Badale has told the team that the final decision on the captain will be taken only after the IPL 2026 auction in Abu Dhabi on December 16. However, if the team has given him a chance then they have not refused to give a chance to this all-rounder.
Assam Star further said, “Manoj [Badale] Sir has given the verdict [on captaincy] Will be taken after the auction. If I think about it now, I’ll waste my mental space. If the team management feels that I am suitable for captaincy then I am ready to put my hand forward. If they feel that I can contribute more as a player, then I am ready for that also.
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Captaincy is not easy: Riyan Parag
Parag also shared that captaincy is not as easy as it looks, having led Rajasthan Royals last season. Apart from making decisions on the field, a captain has to attend numerous meetings, handle sponsorship duties and face the media regularly.
He concluded, “Everyone has this misconception that captaincy is easy. Yes, there is an element of fame in captaincy, but it reduces the element of cricket by 20 per cent. You have to attend all the meetings, attend sponsor shoots and respond to the media. I need to develop these things as a person.”
On the other hand, Sanju Samson is set to play only for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in IPL 2026 as a player, and Ruturaj Gaikwad will return as their captain after missing most of the season earlier this year. In the absence of Gaikwad, MS Dhoni led CSK in IPL 2025.