At a Glance
- Riyan Parag replaced Sanju Samson as Rajasthan Royals after the latter’s trade to CSK
- Parag was picked ahead of options like Jaiswal and Jurel
- RR have had a decent start to life under Parag’s captaincy
The Rajasthan Royals had a choice to make ahead of IPL 2026. After months of the rumour mills going into overdrive, Sanju Samson’s pre-season trade to the Chennai Super Kings was announced in November 2025.
The Royals hierarchy decided Riyan Parag would lead them on the field in the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League. On the surface, it was a pretty straightforward decision with Parag having led the side in Samson’s absence in 2025. However, the 24-year-old wasn’t the only option.
The Contenders
Parag may have led the Royals in the past but he wasn’t the only player with captaincy experience or ambitions in the side. Indian media was rife with rumours on who would take over from Samson.
Yashasvi Jaiswal
Team India opener Yashasvi Jaiswal has never shied away from his leadership ambitions, even speaking about how he’d like to eventually grow into captain on a popular podcast in India. It was widely reported that the stylish left-hander had opted to move on from his domestic side Mumbai to captain the Goan team. However, he would then reconsider his decision and stay on with his home team.
Jaiswal’s numbers in the IPL go to show just how important he has been to the Royals. No other batter for RR has scored more than his 2478 runs at a better strike rate than him (153.6). In fact, Yusuf Pathan (1011 runs) is the only other cricketer to score 1000+ runs for the franchise at a 150+ strike rate. Jaiswal has begun the 2026 campaign well too, scoring 312 runs at a strike rate of nearly 160.
Ravindra Jadeja
Ravindra Jadeja made his return to the Rajasthan Royals as part of the Sanju Samson trade. It was believed in some quarters that Jadeja could take over as captain of the inaugural IPL champions, the side that Jadeja first burst onto the scene with.
He came with experience too. Jadeja had captained the Chennai Super Kings in the 2022 campaign, but with little success. CSK won two out of eight games under Jadeja’s leadership, before MS Dhoni returned to the helm.
Dhruv Jurel
Another possible option for the Royals was Dhruv Jurel. 25-year-old Jurel has had a solid few seasons with RR since making his debut in 2023.
Rajasthan have handed the young wicketkeeper some extra responsibility, having him bat at number 3, a role that he has never played for the franchise before. Jurel has taken to the role well, scoring 290 runs at a strike rate of 151 so far this season.
Riyan Parag the Rajasthan Royals Captain
The Rajasthan Royals have had a decent start to life with Parag as captain, winning each of their first four games this season. A slight stutter later, RR find themselves in fourth place heading into the business phase of the league stages.
Parag gave the world a slight glimpse into his captaincy methods after RR’s first game this season. He had the following to say at the post-match press conference after an eight-wicket win against CSK:
“It’s the irony with cricket. If I had done the same things today and they had scored 200 and we had lost the game, the narrative would have been that I’m a bad captain or that I made bad decisions. That’s why, even after the game ended, I went to the dressing room and spoke with my analyst about what I could have done better.”
Some of the sport’s greatest captains tend to be process-oriented rather than results-oriented. Legendary Indian skipper MS Dhoni is among the most prominent examples of the same. RR fans will hope that Parag’s methods translate to the kind of success that Dhoni went on to have.
Has Parag Turned a Corner With The Bat?
Riyan Parag did not have the rosiest of starts to life as captain in terms of his own performances. The runs seemed to have dried up, with the skipper scoring just 117 runs in his first nine games as full-time captain of the Royals.
However, the promise he has always had chose to turn up in their most recent match against the Delhi Capitals. Parag scored a 50-ball 90 – an innings filled with his greatest hits – before his team unfortunately fell to a seven-wicket defeat at home.
Parag will hope that the most recent innings is a sign of things to come, but with favourable results for his side as well.
Cricket is a result-based sport. Whether Parag’s run as the Royals’ skipper is considered a success will depend on just how well he and the team do under his captaincy.
With the team in fourth place with four matches to go, Parag and Rajasthan will fancy their chances at a playoff spot. Only time can tell just how much of success his time as RR captain will be viewed as. But a top 4 finish should go some way in establishing him as a long-term option.
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