Riyan Parag Named Rajasthan Royals Captain for IPL 2026

Riyan Parag, a 24-year-old allrounder from Assam, has been appointed captain of the Rajasthan Royals for the Indian Premier League's 2026 season, marking a new era for the Jaipur-based franchise following the departure of Sanju Samson. The announcement, made on February 13, 2026, comes ahead of the tournament's start on March 26, as the team prepares for a rebuilding phase after finishing ninth in the 2025 points table.

Parag takes over from Samson, who led Rajasthan Royals from 2021 to 2025 and recorded 33 wins in 67 matches, making him the franchise's most successful skipper. Samson was traded to the Chennai Super Kings last year in a deal that brought experienced allrounders Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran to Rajasthan Royals. Parag, retained for 14 crore rupees ahead of the 2025 mega auction, has been with the team since 2019 and has played 84 IPL matches, scoring 1,566 runs at an average of 26.10 and a strike rate of 141.84, while taking seven wickets.

The decision to name Parag as the seventh full-time captain in the franchise's history was finalized after head coach Kumar Sangakkara conducted interviews with several players. Parag edged out contenders including Jadeja, who...