Kamal Ghorui
New Delhi: India all-rounder Riyan Parag is all set to be named as the new Rajasthan Royals captain at 4pm today. While options included Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel and even the experienced Ravindra Jadeja, the think tank favoured Parag, who has been with the franchise since making his IPL debut in 2019. The RR unit has consistently backed the youngster and even retained him for Rs 14 crore ahead of the 2025 edition of the cash-rich league.He was always groomed for bigger roles in the franchise and the big hint came last season when he served as the stand-in captain in the absence of the injured Sanju Samson. The original captain also signalled what the future could hold.
“I won’t be Rajasthan Royals‘ captain forever. There has to be someone groomed for the future. The franchise has developed multiple leaders, and for the next three games, we believe Riyan Parag is ready and capable of leading the side,” Sanju Samson told PTI in 2025.The 24-year-old has been with the IPL franchise for seven years but his best performance came in 2024 where he scored 573 runs in 16 games at an average of 52.09 and a healthy strike rate of 149.22. His IPL outings put him on the selectors’ radar, earning him his first T20I and ODI caps for the country that same year.Under Parag, who became the youngest player to lead RR last season, the franchise is set to usher in a new era and hopes the long wait for the title — which was last won in the inaugural IPL edition under the late Shane Warne — will end.
