Rajasthan Royals named Riyan Parag as the new skipper of the side after Sanju Samson’s departure. Parag, who was retained for Rs 14 crore by Rajasthan Royals ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auctions and has 1566 runs to his credit in 84 IPL matches played so far.
“Rajasthan Royals has been my home in the IPL since day one. This franchise has backed me, developed me, and pushed me to grow every season. To now lead this team is incredibly special, and it’s a responsibility I fully embrace. I’m excited to work alongside our coaches and leadership group to play fearless, smart cricket and make our fans proud,” an official Rajasthan Royals statement stated Parag as saying.
Royals fam, it’s time to get behind your new Captain! 💪💗 pic.twitter.com/OjodsT0fu5
— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) February 13, 2026
Royals fam, it’s time to get behind your new Captain! 💪💗 pic.twitter.com/OjodsT0fu5
— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) February 13, 2026
“Riyan has developed into a high-impact player and a strong presence in our group. He’s shown composure under pressure, a sharp cricketing mind, and a real understanding of how we want to play. Already as part of the player leadership group, he has the respect of the dressing room, and we’re confident he will thrive in this role,” said Kumar Sangakkara.
Just one goal: To win 💗 pic.twitter.com/uLTrQuel8a
— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) February 13, 2026
While Parag has been named as the new captain, here we take a look at some interesting facts about him.
Riyan Parag etched his name in record books by becoming the first male cricketer from Assam to represent India at the highest level. The right-handed player has played one ODI and 9 T20Is for India so far. Riyan has scored 106 runs in T20Is at a brilliant strike-rate of 151.42.
Sporting background
Riyan Parag comes from a sporting family. His father Parag Das has played cricket at the First-Class level while his mother Mithoo Barooah, boasts a remarkable career as a former national record holder in the 50m freestyle swimming event. She represented India at prestigious events such as the Asian Championships and SAF Games.
Parag Das has played for teams like Assam, Railways, and East Zone.
The MS Dhoni connection
Paras Das and MS Dhoni had shared the field during their participation in Railways’ tournaments. Interestingly, Dhoni was leading Chennai Super Kings (CSK) when Riyan Parag made his IPL debut for Rajasthan Royals in 2019.
Riyan Parag with his idol MS Dhoni pic.twitter.com/PSQjfvkS2W
— Sid (Comeback SZN) 🇷🇪🇧🇹🇮🇳 (@utdtrey108) March 28, 2024
Rajasthan Royals squad for IPL 2026: Riyan Parag (C), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shimron Hetmyer, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Shubham Dubey, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Jofra Archer, Sandeep Sharma, Nandre Burger, Tushar Deshpande, Kwena Maphaka, Yudhvir Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, Sam Curran, Donovan Ferreira, Ravi Bishnoi, Sushant Mishra, Yash Raj Punja, Vignesh Puthur, Aman Rao, Brijesh Sharma, Adam Milne, Kuldeep Sen
Covering sports for fun. Cricket in whites remains the first love—the kind that teaches patience, rewards nuance, and tells stories over five days rather than five seconds.
