Rajasthan Royals (RR) star Riyan Parag shed light on the possibility of becoming Rajasthan Royals’ (RR) full-time captain for the Indian Premier League (2026). Parag, who led RR in eight matches last season, is one of the contenders to replace Sanju Samson as captain of the franchise. Last month, Samson was traded to the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) before the IPL retention deadline. During a recent interaction, Parag addressed the possibility of taking over full-time duties, while stressing on the challenges of leadership.
“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,” Riyan Parag told Sportstar.
The 24-year-old also revealed that the franchise is likely to announce their captain after the IPL 2026 mega auction on December 16.
“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 added.
“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,” he highlighted.
Last month, RR traded Samson to CSK in exchange for all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran.
Samson, who led the Royals from 2021 to 2025, was traded to CSK for INR 18 crore, whereas Jadeja and Curran moved to RR for INR 14 crore and INR 2.4 crore, respectively.
Interestingly, Jadeja, who CSK previously retained for INR 18 crore in IPL 2025, will recieve a revised fee with RR in the upcoming IPL season.
Overall, Jadeja has played 27 matches for RR in IPL. The all-rounder has scalped six wickets and amassed 430 runs for the Rajasthan-based franchise.
(With ANI Inputs)
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