Riyan Parag set to become RR's youngest IPL captain: Stats
What's the story
All-rounder Riyan Parag is set to become the youngest captain for Rajasthan Royals in IPL history. He will lead the side in their of IPL 2025. At 23 years and 133 days, he will break Steve Smith's record as the youngest captain of the franchise. Smith, at 24 years and 347 days, captained the Royals in 2014. Parag's appointment comes as RR regular captain Sanju Samson is recovering from an injury.
Record breaker
Parag joins elite list of youngest IPL captains
Parag will become one of the youngest IPL captains. The list of young captains includes Virat Kohli, who led Royal Challengers Bengaluru in 2011 aged 22 years and 187 days. The others are Smith (Pune Warriors India at 22 years 344 days in 2012), Suresh Raina (Chennai Super Kings at 23 years 112 days in 2010), Shreyas Iyer (Delhi Capitals at 23 years 142 days in 2018), and Rashid Khan (Gujarat Titans at 23 years 209 days in 2022).
Career progression
Riyan Parag's IPL journey and captaincy role
Parag, who made his IPL debut in 2019 with Rajasthan Royals, has become an integral part of the team. As captain for RR's first three matches of the IPL 2025 season, he will have the opportunity to lead from the front and showcase his leadership skills. He will also become the fourth-youngest player to captain a team in the IPL.
Debut
Parag's captaincy debut in IPL
This will be Riyan Parag's first stint as the Rajasthan Royals's captain since joining the franchise in 2019. The 23-year-old all-rounder will lead the team against Sunrisers Hyderabad, Kolkata Knight Riders, and Chennai Super Kings on March 23, 26, and 30 respectively. Parag's leadership role comes after a strong performance last season where he scored 573 runs from 16 matches at a strike-rate of nearly 150 (149.3).