Riyan Parag Contemplates Captaincy Role for Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2026
Riyan Parag is keeping quiet about whether he might step into the role of full-time captain for the Rajasthan Royals in the upcoming IPL 2026 season. This comes after the franchise’s recent decision to trade long-standing captain Sanju Samson to the Chennai Super Kings just before the retention deadline.
Currently, Parag is leading the Assam team in domestic cricket, notably in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy. He also has some experience leading the Royals, having stepped in for Samson during the IPL 2025 season for a total of eight matches.
Reflecting on his previous stint, Parag shared, “I captained in seven to eight matches last season. I believe I made the right decisions 80 to 85 percent of the time,” in an interview with Sportstar.
When discussing the potential of taking on the captaincy full-time, Parag remarked that he isn’t stressing over it too much. He mentioned that team owner Manoj Badale has indicated that a final decision would be made after the auction, which is set for December 16 in Abu Dhabi.
“Manoj has said the decision on captaincy will come after the auction. If I dwell on it now, it will interfere with my focus. If the management thinks I’m the right person for the captaincy, I’m willing to take that on. But if they believe I can contribute more as a player, I’m open to that as well,” he said, recognizing the challenges of the captain’s role.
He also pointed out that being a captain involves more than just making decisions during games. “There’s a common belief that captaincy is simple. While it does come with some recognition, it takes away from just playing cricket about 80 percent of the time. You need to manage meetings, sponsor events, and handle media inquiries. I recognize that I need to grow in these areas,” Parag added.
Who Will Lead the Royals?
With Samson’s departure, the Rajasthan Royals are on the lookout for a new captain. One potential candidate is the newly-acquired Ravindra Jadeja, along with players like Yashasvi Jaiswal and wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel, whose reputation is rising after being selected for the Test squad.
It seems unlikely that the Royals will spend big on a local player during the auction, which would suggest they might not look to acquire a new captain.
Notably, R. Ashwin has weighed in on the situation, mentioning that franchises may think twice about giving captaincy to a player who is new to the team. Jadeja has experience from his past tenure leading the Chennai Super Kings but may prefer to avoid the added pressure of captaincy at this stage in his career.
As for Sanju Samson, he will not be leading the Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2026; instead, Ruturaj Gaikwad will take up the captaincy role after missing much of last season due to injury. MS Dhoni commanded the team in 2025, but CSK ended up finishing at the bottom of the table for the first time in their history.
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