The Rajasthan Royals made a questionable choice in selecting Riyan Parag as captain, despite having experienced players like Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ravindra Jadeja on the team.
Parag stepped in as captain for Sanju Samson when he was unavailable but struggled with his batting performance. Following this, the franchise decided to back him again, raising questions about the decision to hand leadership to the young all-rounder.
A former CSK player commented that Jaiswal, who has established himself as a prominent player, was a better candidate for captaincy in the IPL.
Badrinath shared on his YouTube channel: “Yashasvi Jaiswal represents India and is the future of Indian Cricket. He is already involved in Test and ODI matches. So, choosing Riyan Parag over him seems wrong. It’s possible that Jaiswal doesn’t have a relative in RR’s ownership. I also suspect discussions about captaincy might have lured Jadeja from CSK, but that didn’t happen.”
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Riyan Parag continues to be an exciting young talent in Indian domestic cricket. His ability to hit sixes and his bowling skills make him a valuable player capable of taking on multiple roles. The 24-year-old recently discussed his new role as captain for the Rajasthan Royals ahead of the 2026 season.
He stated: “Rajasthan Royals has been my home in the IPL since day one. This franchise has supported and developed me every season. Leading this team is special, and I take this responsibility seriously. I look forward to working with our coaches and leadership group to play smart, fearless cricket and make our fans proud.”
Parag has played 83 IPL matches, scoring 1566 runs with a strike rate over 140. His all-round skills are evident with seven wickets taken in the competition.
