IPL 2026: Dhruv Jurel and Yashasvi Jaiswal front-runners for RR captaincy after Sanju Samson’s rumored exit- Report

RR was captained by Riyan Parag in Sanju Samson's absence in IPL 2025.

With the IPL 2026 auction retention deadline approaching, the Rajasthan Royals (RR) camp has seen a lot of movement as they are looking for a huge overhaul in leadership capacity.

The coaching staff has changed, with former Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara returning to RR as head coach following Rahul Dravid's departure. Sangakkara has also served as RR's Director of Cricket since 2021. The franchise recently parted ways with CEO Jake Lush McCrum.

Reportedly, Rajasthan Royals’ current captain, Sanju Samson, is expected to be moved to the Chennai Super Kings in return for Ravindra Jadeja, Sam Curran, or Matheesha Pathirana.

With Samson on the move, the issue of captaincy has heated up in the RR camp. Sanju Samson has led RR in 67 matches. Under his guidance, the Royals have won and lost 33 games. RR advanced to the IPL 2022 final and the 2024 playoffs while he was captain.

One of the rumored reasons for Sanju Samson to ask for his release was RR’s affinity towards Riyan Parag and him becoming the face of the franchise. Parag captained RR in IPL 2025 in a few matches when Samson was recovering from a finger injury and then missed the second half after suffering another injury.

Meanwhile, the Times of India has reported that opener Yashasvi Jaiswal and keeper-batter Dhruv Jurel, a product of RR, are the front-runners to become the next RR captain.

Parag, another homegrown star in whom the Royals have made significant investments, appears to be out of the running for the time being, since Jurel's stock is on a roll. It is also understood that Jaiswal and Jurel, who are close to Sangakkara, were told to prepare for the captaincy while the two were in England for the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.

According to franchise sources, Jurel may pip Jaiswal for the captaincy position due to his multifaceted skills. Jurel can keep wickets, has proven himself as a finisher in recent seasons, and, most significantly, as a keeper, controls the game from behind the stumps. With Jurel at the helm, it gives the team has more flexibility.

The report further stated that RR is also looking for a change of venue. It is well-documented that the Rajasthan Royals franchise and the Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA) have not been on the best of terms. During IPL 2025, the row hit a new low after the RCA accused RR of match-fixing.

The main reason behind the bad blood seemed to be that RCA, which is now disbanded, was dissatisfied with the number of complimentary tickets distributed to them.

Now, RR is looking to move its home base out of Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur. The Times of India has learned that the franchise is keen to shift its base from Jaipur to Guwahati as well.

Previously, the Punjab Kings had done the same because they were dissatisfied with the attendance in Mohali. Punjab Kings now play half of their matches at the newly constructed PCA Stadium in Mullanpur and the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) Stadium in Dharamshala.

(Times of India report)