IPL 2026: Riyan Parag named Rajasthan Royals captain
What's the story
Young Indian all-rounder Riyan Parag has been named the new captain of the Rajasthan Royals (RR) for the 2026 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The franchise announced the decision on Friday. The decision comes after a major trade with Chennai Super Kings (CSK), which saw former skipper Sanju Samson leaving in exchange for two top all-rounders - Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran.
Captaincy record
Parag's previous stint as captain
At just 24 years old, Parag has already led RR in the past. He captained the team for eight matches last season when Samson was injured. However, the team's performance under his captaincy was not up to the mark as they only managed to win two out of those eight games. Despite this, Parag had a stellar individual performance with a career-best score of 95 against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at Eden Gardens.
Career stats
A look at his IPL career
Since making his IPL debut in 2019, Parag has been a part of RR for all seven seasons. He played every match in the last two seasons and had his best season in 2024 with a total of 573 runs at an average of 52.09 and strike rate of 149.21. Overall, he has played 84 matches for RR, scoring a total of 1,566 runs at 26.10 while picking up seven wickets along the way.
Leadership transition
Leadership change at RR ahead of IPL 2026
Parag's promotion to captaincy is a strategic decision by RR, especially after the departure of Samson and the broader leadership changes following Rahul Dravid's parting ways with the franchise after the 2025 season. Head coach Kumar Sangakkara interviewed several players before finalizing Parag as the new captain. The franchise hopes that with this leadership change, they can finally end their title drought since winning in the inaugural IPL edition under Shane Warne.