RR won only two out of eight games under his captaincy.
Riyan Parag recently opened up on taking over as Rajasthan Royals captain in IPL 2026 after the trade of long-standing skipper Sanju Samson to Chennai Super Kings. Although no conversations have taken place so far between Parag and team management, he expressed his wish to take up the job if entrusted with it. In the last season, the youngster led the team in eight matches when Samson was out due to injury.
Riyan Parag has emerged as the top contender to lead the franchise. But the 24-year-old insists he isn’t letting the captaincy talk cloud his head.
“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. I am ready to put my hand up for captaincy, but if they feel that, as a player, I can contribute more, I am ready for that also,” Riyan Parag said on the sidelines of SMAT 2025.
Under Parag’s captaincy, RR secured two wins only. Out of six losses, Rajasthan Royals sucumbbed three defeats by a margin of less than 12 runs. On the batting front, Riyan scored 270 runs as a captain at an average of 38.57 and an impressive strike rate of 181.20, including a brisk 95-run knock against Kolkata Knight Riders, where he almost won the game single-handedly.
Parag has also captained Assam across formats in domestic cricket, first given the role in T20s in 2021. He credited the learning experience that helped him mature both as a player and a leader. However, the all-rounder also acknowledged the extra responsibility that comes with leadership in the Indian Premier League.
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Parag has been going through a tough patch with the willow in domestic cricket, but he is confident of putting on a strong show in the upcoming matches. He also hopes to make an India comeback after he completely recovers from a shoulder injury.
“I don’t see any technical issues in my batting. I think it’s because of this injury that I’m not currently in the Indian team. Otherwise, I think I can play in both formats of white-ball cricket. As soon as my shoulder is completely healed, you’ll see me back in the Indian blue jersey again,” quipped Parag.
In September, Parag had scored three List A fifties for India A against Australia A. But his form dipped significantly in the series against South Africa A. He also delivered underwhelming performances in three Ranji Trophy outings, managing just 100 runs at an average of 20. The lean patch continued in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2025, with his scores reading 5, 15, 14, 0, and 5.
Notably, Parag made his T20I debut in July 2024 and has played nine games so far. His lone ODI appearance came against Sri Lanka in 2024.
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