Riyan Parag has kept his cards close to his chest on the possibility of becoming Rajasthan Royals’ full-time captain for IPL 2026. His comments come weeks after the franchise traded long-time skipper Sanju Samson to Chennai Super Kings before the retention deadline.
Parag has been leading Assam in domestic cricket, including the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy, and has prior experience at the Royals helm. In IPL 2025, he captained the side in eight matches when Samson was unavailable, even with Yashasvi Jaiswal in the squad.
“I captained in seven to eight matches in the IPL last season. In the dressing room, when we would analyse decisions, I have done things right 80 to 85 per cent,” he told Sportstar.
Parag suggested he is not overthinking the potential responsibility at the moment, saying team owner Manoj Badale had indicated that a decision would be made after the auction, which is scheduled for December 16 in Abu Dhabi.
“Manoj [Badale] sir has said the decision [on captaincy] will be taken after the auction. If I think about that now, I will ruin my mental space. If the team management feels I am the right fit for captaincy, I am ready to put my hand up. If they feel that, as a player, I can contribute more, I am ready for that also,” he said, acknowledging the challenges that come with the job.
He also reflected on how captaincy extends beyond tactical calls on the field. “Everyone has the misconception that captaincy is easy. Yes, there is an element of fame in captaincy, but it reduces the element of cricket to 20 per cent. You have to attend all the meetings, attend sponsor shoots, and answer the media. I need to develop these things as a person,” Parag added.
WILL JADEJA LEAD ROYALS?
With Samson’s exit, Rajasthan Royals are in search of a new leader. Newly-acquired Ravindra Jadeja is one option, while the squad also includes Jaiswal and wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel, whose stocks are growing after having made the Test squad as a specialist batter.
Rajasthan are unlikely to splash big money on a local talent in the auction, ruling out the possibility of them buying a captain.
Earlier, R. Ashwin weighed in on the situation, noting that franchises may hesitate to hand leadership to a player in his first year at a team.Jadeja has the experience of leading Chennai Super Kings in the past, but the senior campaigner wouldn’t want the additional burden of captaincy in his twilight years.
Meanwhile, Samson is not set to lead Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2026. The five-time champions confirmed that Ruturaj Gaikwad will return as captain after missing most of last season through injury. MS Dhoni took charge in 2025, but CSK finished with the wooden spoon for the first time in their history.
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