All-rounder Riyan Parag from Assam is all set to be crowned as the new captain of the Rajasthan Royals (RR) franchise. According to a source, the RR management has decided to handover the captaincy to Riyan and a formal announcement will be made this evening. Ritan, who captains the Assam cricket team, will take over from Sanju Samson for the 2026 season of the Indian Premier League. The change in captaincy comes in the backdrop of the Jaipur-based team opting to trade Sanju Samson to the Chennai Super Kings. While other options included Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel and even the experienced Ravindra Jadeja, the think tank favored Riyan who has been with the franchise since making his IPL debut in 2019. The RR unit has consistently backed the youngster and even retained him for Rs 14 crore ahead of the 2025 edition of the cash-rich league. He was always 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.
