Rajasthan Royals just made a massive captaincy decision for IPL 2026. Riyan Parag can become the new Rajasthan Royals’ captain, surprisingly at age 24. Many expected RR ditched Ravindra Jadeja for the leadership role instead.
Sanju Samson got traded to the Chennai Super Kings recently in a blockbuster deal. RR received Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran in that exchange. Everyone assumed Jadeja would automatically become the Rajasthan Royals’ Captain after arriving.
But the franchise had different plans brewing behind closed doors quietly. Head coach Kumar Sangakkara interviewed multiple players before finally deciding. Riyan Parag impressed him the most during those leadership discussions apparently.
Parag’s Previous Captaincy Experience
Riyan Parag already captained the Rajasthan Royals during IPL 2025 temporarily. Sanju Samson’s injury gave him eight matches as the stand-in captain. The team won just two games under his leadership back then.
His batting averaged 38.57 across those eight captaincy matches specifically. A career-best 95 against the Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens highlighted that period. But RR might pick him despite these mixed captaincy results previously.
Kumar Sangakkara clearly sees long-term potential in the young all-rounder here. Parag has been with the Rajasthan Royals since 2019 without changing franchises. That loyalty and consistency probably influenced this major captaincy decision heavily.
Why Not Jadeja as Captain?
Many fans are questioning why RR ditched Ravindra Jadeja for captaincy duties. The veteran all-rounder brings massive experience from CSK and international cricket. His leadership credentials seemed perfect for the Rajasthan Royals’ Captain role honestly.
But Jadeja’s previous CSK captaincy stint didn’t go well at all. He struggled handling that pressure and gave up leadership mid-season. Maybe that past failure influenced RR’s thinking against appointing him now.
Riyan Parag represents youth, energy, and franchise loyalty powerfully. The IPL 2026 season becomes his chance to prove doubters wrong completely. He played all matches in the last two seasons consistently.
Numbers Back the Choice
Riyan Parag scored 573 runs in IPL 2024 impressively at 52.09 average. His strike rate of 149.21 showed aggressive intent throughout that season. Overall, he’s played 84 IPL matches scoring 1566 runs with 7 wickets.
Sanju Samson captained the Rajasthan Royals for eleven long seasons before leaving. He wanted change after RR’s terrible 2025 campaign with only four wins.
