Rajasthan Royals have handed the team captaincy to young all-rounder Riyan Parag.
The team made a significant decision by releasing former captain Sanju Samson, who was later inducted into the Chennai Super Kings camp. Now, after becoming captain for the first time, Riyan has spoken openly.
Sanju Samson had already hinted
Riyan Parag explained that the seeds of captaincy had already been sown. He said, “When Jos (Buttler) left during the Eliminator or so, Sanju Bhaiya (Samson) asked me to be the second in command, helping him with the bowling and stuff like that. So that’s when I actually started the whole leadership thing.”
He further explained that when Sanju Samson was injured before the 2025 season, he texted him saying, “If this happens, you will have to step up.”
This means that Riyan was already being groomed for leadership within the team. The management also showed confidence in the youngster, keeping long-term plans in mind.
Jaiswal’s reaction revealed
Names like Yashasvi Jaiswal and Dhruv Jurel were also in the race for captaincy. Many fans on social media believed Jaiswal should have been made captain. However, the picture inside the team is different.
Rian himself revealed what Jaiswal told him. He said, “The first thing (Yashasvi) Jaiswal said was, ‘Congrats mere bhai, jitte hain’ (Congrats brother, let’s win it together).”
Rian also said, “That’s all I would want from Jaiswal and Dhruv (Jurel). Dhruv is on the calmer side, so he wouldn’t express it that much.”
Players like Ravindra Jadeja, Sam Curran, and Ravi Bishnoi are included in the new team. Ryan also appealed to the fans for support.
He said, “My request is to just support us through this. Watch how we are going to compete and will give out 100%. Come game day, come to the first game of the IPL, but you have to understand, it’s a new team, it’s a transition, a new captain.
“We just want a little faith, we just want a little time, and we just want a little love and support, and hopefully the transition that happened before is going to repeat itself again and we end up winning a trophy.”
Rajasthan Royals will enter IPL 2026 with a new thinking and a new captain. Now, all eyes will be on how Riyan Parag proves this trust on the field.
