IPL 2026: Who Will Become Rajasthan Royals' Captain After Sanju Samson's Exit? Riyan Parag Reacts To Speculations

IPL 2026: Rajasthan Royals' star player Riyan Parag has reacted to the possibility of becoming the team's new captain for IPL 2026 after the exit of the former skipper Sanju Samson. Parag captained RR in eight matches last season and is one of the contenders to take over the leadership role on a permanent basis.

Samson ended his long and impressive 10-year stint at Rajasthan Royals and joined the Chennai Super Kings in a high-profile trade deal ahead of the IPL 2026 auction. Addressing the speculations, Parag talked about the challenges of leadership and revealed that the franchise is likely to announce their captain after the IPL 2026 mega auction on December 16.

"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 was quoted by Sportstar as saying.

ALSO READ: What Is India's ODI Record In Visakhapatnam? Most Runs, Most Wickets And More

"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.

ALSO READ: India's Shafali Verma Headlines Nominations For 'ICC Women's Player Of The Month' Award

"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.

Apart from Parag, Rajasthan Royals have the likes of Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel and Yashasvi Jaiswal as the speculated options for the captaincy role. While Jaiswal and Jurel were retained by the franchise, Jadeja made his return to RR through a trade deal from the Chennai Super Kings. Samson, who led the Royals from 2021 to 2025, joined CSK for Rs 18 crore, whereas Jadeja and Sam Curran moved to RR for Rs 14 crore and INR 2.4 crore, respectively.

Talking about Parag, the 24-year-old has been with RR throughout his IPL career so far. Having represented the inaugural champions in 83 matches, Parag has 1566 runs and 7 wickets to his name.