Riyan Parag had barely unpacked his kit when he first walked into the Rajasthan Royals changing-room as a 17-year-old in 2019. Seven seasons on, the all-rounder finds himself running that very room. The 2026 campaign will begin with Parag as captain, a role once held by Shane Warne, Rahul Dravid and, most recently, Sanju Samson.
Samson’s off-season switch to Chennai Super Kings leaves a sizeable hole – both runs and aura – that Parag has no intention of playing down.
“We can only try to look for players with the same skills [like Samson] and someone who can fill the hole left by him in the batting order,” Parag said in Jaipur. “Just like you cannot replace Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma in any XI, Samson is irreplaceable.”
That unvarnished admission sets the tone for a Royals side still smarting from a ninth-place finish last April. They lost five matches in the final over and another off the last ball. Parag, candid as ever, knows that statistic cannot repeat itself.
“But will we plan something new? That’s what we’ve been discussing in the build-up,” he continued. “If you see last season, we lost five or six close games, in fact a couple of games were last-ball defeats. This season, if those few games go in our favour, then we won’t be asked about our issues any longer.”
A captain’s burden often shows in the detail, and Parag’s focus is firmly on the little things: “In any 40-over game, there will be a few moments where you have to make right decisions and that’s what I’ll focus on – like who will bat where, or what to do at the toss – and if we do that well, then this year will be a good one.”
Jadeja’s second act in pink
The swap deal that sent Samson south also returned an old favourite. Ravindra Jadeja, who debuted for RR in 2008, is back in the fold and, at 37, becomes the most seasoned player in the squad. The surface at Sawai Mansingh Stadium remains slower than most, while Guwahati, RR’s second home, can grip even more.
“The game has changed since 2008, so having Jadeja back in RR colours doesn’t give us an advantage from that particular perspective [of him having played for the team before],” Parag said. “But the main advantage of having someone like Jadeja is that he has played all the seasons, and that experience he brings will be very useful as we try to win those small moments. He is the most experienced IPL player in our squad now.”
The left-arm spinner’s economy rate in Chennai rarely crept above seven an over, and Parag expects similar control alongside India leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi.
“Jadeja had a superb economy [rate] in Chennai all these years and Jaipur and Guwahati are wickets that are slow and sticky respectively. And we also have Bishnoi,” he said. “The combination of Bishnoi and Jadeja makes us world-class, top class. I don’t think better combinations are possible than having both of these spinners start for us. The two of them bowling together can help us win from any situation.”
Protecting a 14-year-old opener
The most intriguing Royals story, however, involves someone young enough to have watched Parag’s debut on television rather than in the dressing-room. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi turns 15 next week. After a whirlwind 2025, which included fearless cameos in the back end of the league and a productive Under-19 stint for India, the left-hander is inked in to open with Yashasvi Jaiswal. Expectation outside the camp is already swelling; inside, Parag is keen to keep things calm.
“As a captain, I will tell him not to do many press conferences, not interact with the media much, just enjoy,” Parag said. “[I request the media], don’t call his manager to talk to him. Let him play.”
Coaching director Kumar Sangakkara echoes the sentiment. “He’s a brilliant talent but also a teenager juggling schoolwork. Our job is to make sure the spotlight doesn’t burn before it warms,” the former Sri Lanka captain told local reporters.
Small margins, big season
Royals’ pre-season numbers are tidy enough: batting depth until at least No.8, two quality spinners, and Trent Boult fit again after a rib niggle. Still, every conversation circles back to Samson’s departure – the runs, the calm, the clout with umpires.
Former India coach Gary Kirsten, asked about RR’s prospects on a television panel, put it plainly: “They can cover the runs; it’s the leadership aura that’s harder. But sometimes a young captain freshens everything up.”
Parag, for his part, isn’t pretending to be Samson Lite. He is instead leaning into the traits that got him the job – direct communication, tactical boldness and an honest read of his environment. Whether that blend is enough to flip those last-over defeats into wins will define Rajasthan’s year.
A messy sport stays messy. The Royals captain knows it and, in that sense, is already half-prepared for the chaos to come.
