Riyan Parag has been officially named the full-time captain of the Rajasthan Royals (RR) for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season, starting March 28.
The major leadership transition follows a high-profile trade that saw long- standing captain Sanju Samson move to the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in exchange for Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran.
While Parag served as a stand-in captain for eight matches during the 2025 edition when Samson was sidelined due to injury, this marks his first official stint as RR’s full-time skipper.
However, former India captain Kris Srikkanth is not pleased with Parag’s appointment, suggesting that the latter is "treated like a king" by the franchise and questioning the decision to bypass more experienced players like Jadeja.
“Everyone knows how he became the captain. That is their decision but he is treated like the king there. Parag didn’t have a good season last year, but the year before last, he did brilliantly. Last year, he didn’t do anything substantial,” said Srikkanth on his YouTube channel.
RR’s squad has been bolstered by the addition of Jadeja and Sam Curran ahead of the IPL 2026. However, the England all-rounder has been ruled out of the tournament due to a groin injury, with Dasun Shanaka being named as his replacement.
The spotlight will also be on 14-year-old batting prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who was bought for INR 1.1 crore and retained, following a sensational 2025 season where he became the youngest player to smash an IPL hundred.
Srikkanth predicted a difficult IPL season for the Royals, stating they are not title contenders due to their tendency to "self-destruct" despite having a decent side.
“It’s a decent side. They have the potential to upset sides. But they are also a side that will self-destruct. Yet, if two in their top five click, they will smash the opposition. The Jaiswal-Suryavanshi opening stand is their biggest plus. They are capable of winning matches singlehandedly. So they are a good side but not a dangerous one. They are not a championship-winning side. They are 50-50 even for playoff qualification,” he remarked.
Rajasthan Royals will open their IPL 2026 campaign against Chennai Super Kings on March 30 in Guwahati.
