Rajasthan Royals (RR) have announced Riyan Parag as their captain for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season. After trading their most-capped skipper, Sanju Samson, to Chennai Super Kings (CSK) for Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran, RR had to appoint a new leader.
Riyan Parag takes over as RR captain
Rajasthan had a few options, other than Parag. Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel, and Jadeja were all valid contenders. In the end, RR went with Parag. The all-rounder has been with the franchise since 2018 and was earmarked as a potential skipper from early on.
Last IPL season, he was handed the captaincy responsibility in Samson’s absence due to injury and led RR in 8 of 14 group-stage matches. Parag also captains Assam in domestic cricket. Reports had suggested that Parag would take RR’s legacy forward, and that’s exactly what’s happened.
In a live reveal, RR confirmed Parag as captain. The all-rounder stated that owner Manoj Badale and head coach Kumar Sangakkara informed him about their decision prior to the India A vs USA T20 World Cup 2026 warm-up match.
“Rajasthan Royals has been my home in the IPL since day one. This franchise has backed me, developed me, and pushed me to grow every season. To now lead this team is incredibly special, and it’s a responsibility I fully embrace. I’m excited to work alongside our coaches and leadership group to play fearless, smart cricket and make our fans proud,” Parag said.
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 |
