Riyan Parag to be named captain of Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2026 | Cricket News - The Tech Word News

File photo of Rajasthan Royals’ Riyan Parag. (AP photo) New Delhi: Indian all-rounder Riyan Parag will be named as the new captain of Rajasthan Royals at 4 PM today. While the options included Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel and even the veteran Ravindra Jadeja, the think tank favored Parag, who has been with the franchise since his IPL debut in 2019. The RR unit has consistently backed the youngster and even retained him for Rs 14 crore ahead of the cash-rich league’s release in 2025.He has always been 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 hinted at what the future might hold.

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“I will not captain Rajasthan Royals forever. There has to be someone ready for the future. This franchise has developed several leaders and we believe that for the next three games, Riyan Parag is ready and able to lead 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 when he scored 573 runs in 16 matches at an average of 52.09 and a healthy strike rate of 149.22. His IPL outings put him on the selectors’ radar and earned him his first T20I and ODI caps for the country in the 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 to end the long wait for the title – which was last won in the inaugural edition of the IPL under the late Shane Warne.

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