The Rajasthan Royals (RR) is ready to enter a new era. After a successful period under Sanju Samson but still without a trophy since 2008, the inaugural champions are set to name a new captain. Samson was traded to the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) before IPL 2026 and two players, Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran, were added. Both are captaincy material but RR have stuck to a player in whom they have heavily invested. We are talking about Riyan Parag, who is set to be named as the new RR captain for IPL 2026.
On February 12, RR made an announcement that they would be revealing their new designated skipper on Friday. However, as per ESPNcricinfo, it will be none other than Parag, who has pipped the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel and Jadeja to become the 7th designated captain for the pink franchise.
Riyan Parag succeeds Sanju Samson
It isn’t a surprise at all, to be fair. It is reported that Riyan Parag was one of several players interviewed by head coach Kumar Sangakkara before the franchise settled on him as captain. The decision signals a fresh chapter for Rajasthan Royals, who will head into the new season with both a new skipper and a new head coach after Rahul Dravid stepped away following a disappointing 2025 campaign in which the team managed just four wins from 14 matches.
Parag’s journey with the Royals has been a steady one. Since making his IPL debut in 2019, he has remained with the franchise through every season. Season after season, he faced critcism for not having an impact but RR stuck with him, considering his raw talent.
Over the past two years, he has been a regular in the XI, and 2024 proved to be his breakout year with the bat. He piled up 573 runs that season, averaging just over 52 and striking at close to 150, numbers that made his way in Team India too. In total, he has featured in 84 matches for the Royals, scoring 1,566 runs and even chipping in with seven wickets.
List of Rajasthan Royals captains in IPL
| Captain | Matches | Won | Lost | Tied | No Result | Win% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shane Warne | 56 | 31 | 24 | 1 | 0 | 55.35 |
| Shane Watson | 21 | 7 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 33.33 |
| Rahul Dravid | 40 | 23 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 57.50 |
| Steve Smith | 27 | 15 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 55.55 |
| Ajinkya Rahane | 24 | 9 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 37.50 |
| Sanju Samson | 67 | 33 | 32 | 0 | 1 | 49.25 |
| Riyan Parag | 8 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 25.00 |
Leadership won’t be entirely new territory for the 24-year-old. He stepped in last season when Sanju Samson missed eight matches due to injury. Results were mixed, with the Royals winning only two of those games, but Parag’s individual form held up. He averaged nearly 39 during that stretch and signed off with a memorable 95 against Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens, the highest score of his IPL career so far. He also regularly leads Assam in domestic campaigns.
| Period | Competition | Status/Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Nov – Dec 2025 | Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy | Struggled with form (39 runs in 5 innings) as injury flared up. |
| Dec 2025 – Jan 2026 | Vijay Hazare / Ranji Trophy | Missed due to shoulder rehabilitation. Rehab at BCCI CoE |
| Feb 2, 2026 | India A vs USA (Warm-up) | Returned to action; scored 2 runs. |
| Feb 6, 2026 | India A vs Namibia (Warm-up) | Scored 69 (39), confirming match fitness. |
| IPL 2026 | Indian Premier League | Appointed as Rajasthan Royals Captain. |
Rajasthan Royals IPL 2026 squad
| Player | Sold Price (₹ Cr) |
|---|---|
| Yashasvi Jaiswal | 18.00 |
| Ravindra Jadeja | 14.00 |
| Dhruv Jurel (WK) | 14.00 |
| Riyan Parag (C) | 14.00 |
| Jofra Archer | 12.50 |
| Shimron Hetmyer | 11.00 |
| Ravi Bishnoi | 7.20 |
| Tushar Deshpande | 6.50 |
| Sandeep Sharma | 4.00 |
| Nandre Burger | 3.50 |
| Sam Curran | 2.40 |
| Adam Milne | 2.40 |
| Kwena Maphaka | 1.50 |
| Vaibhav Sooryavanshi | 1.10 |
| Donovan Ferreira | 1.00 |
| Ravi Singh | 0.95 |
| Sushant Mishra | 0.90 |
| Shubham Dubey | 0.80 |
| Kuldeep Sen | 0.75 |
| Yudhvir Singh | 0.35 |
| Yash Raj Punja | 0.30 |
| Brijesh Sharma | 0.30 |
| Vignesh Puthur | 0.30 |
| Aman Rao | 0.30 |
| Lhuan-dre Pretorius | 0.30 |
