Former India batter Robin Uthappa feels that Yashasvi Jaiswal might need to wait a little longer to become the Rajasthan Royals captain. The inaugural winners of the Indian Premier League (IPL) brought Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran on board before the mini-auction, and the franchise also filled a few holes in their squad by acquiring utility players in Abu Dhabi. However, one question still lingers: Who will captain the side in the 2026 edition of the tournament?
In the 2025 IPL season, Riyan Parag filled in as the captain when Sanju Samson was unavailable, and this led to several rumours doing the rounds stating that several young players in the RR camp were unhappy and displeased.
Samson has already been traded to the five-time champions Chennai Super Kings, with the Royals getting Jadeja and Curran in return. The all-rounder Jadeja, who had his fees at INR 18 crore at CSK, took a significant pay cut when joining the Royals as he was brought on board for INR 14.20 crore.
This fact has led several to believe that Jadeja might have asked to become the captain. However, nothing official has been announced from the Royals’ camp. Jadeja had last captained an IPL franchise in 2022 when he led CSK. However, midway through the season, the leadership went back to MS Dhoni, who had openly criticised Jadeja’s captaincy acumen.
Uthappa feels that Parag and Jadeja are the frontrunners for the captaincy, and this can lead to Jaiswal being put on the back burner.
“The advantage Rajasthan Royals have is the fact that they have 10 fast bowlers, offering a lot of options. If they bowl in the right areas at SMS Stadium, Jaipur, they can be very successful. With spinners like Bishnoi and Jadeja, support from Shimron Hetmyer and Donovan Ferreira, and depth in the batting order with Dhruv Jurel and Riyan Parag, they now have a well-rounded team,” said JioStar expert Uthappa on ‘TATA IPL Auction Review’
“The only question is leadership. My feeling is the captaincy will likely be between Riyan Parag and Ravindra Jadeja, while Jaiswal might need to wait a bit longer,” he added.
‘Captaincy most decisive’
Former India spinner and Test captain Anil Kumble feels that the captaincy will be the most decisive factor and it needs to be seen who the Royals choose as their next leader.
“When you look at this lineup, the captaincy will be the most decisive factor. If you want to replicate the kind of personality Sanju Samson brought to Rajasthan Royals, Dhruv Jurel is probably the closest match,” said Kumble.
“Beyond that, the squad is strong, with talented youngsters, proven players, and all-rounders. Fitness of key players like Jofra Archer at the start of IPL is also crucial. Ultimately, the management needs to identify and communicate who the captain will be,” he added.
In the IPL 2026 auction, Royals acquired players like Ravi Bishnoi, Adam Milne, Kuldeep Sen and Vignesh Puthur and it remains to be seen whether the side can add a second title to its kitty in the 2026 edition. After the 2008 season, the Royals came close to lifting the trophy in 2022 when they reached the final, only to lose the summit clash against Gujarat Titans.
