Who will captain Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2026?

Rajasthan Royals have completed a historic trade with Chennai Super Kings by letting go of their marquee player Sanju Samson in exchange for Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran. While the initial plan was a like-for-like swap between Jadeja and Samson due to their existing IPL fee of Rs 18 crore, RR eventually got the Indian veteran for Rs 14 crore.

 

As the Royals were short on funds, this allowed them to get Curran also within that Rs 18 crore bracket and the two all-rounders are a potential boost to the team's balance. Meanwhile, Samson's exit means that RR need to look at a new full-time captain. They do have some contenders and it must be remembered that Samson himself was barely available in the 2025 IPL season due to injury.

 

Here are some of the contenders for RR's captaincy role.

 

Riyan Parag

 

The Assam batter was RR's stand-in captain during IPL 2025, but it was a decision that sparked a divide among fans and allegedly, in the management and among players as well. However, Parag has been one of India's finest performers in domestic cricket and has been Assam's captain as well. The 24-year-old has also been one of RR's key batters over the last few seasons.

 

Yashasvi Jaiswal

 

Following Samson's exit, the 23-year-old is the biggest Indian international in the Royals setup right now. While he doesn't play all three formats for India yet, there is no doubt that Jaiswal will soon tick that box as a regular. Blooding Jaiswal as captain could be a daring move from the management and might be the start of a major revamp in the team's culture and strategy.

 

Ravindra Jadeja

 

With his return to the franchise, Jadeja becomes the senior-most player in the squad in terms of age and experience. While there are reports of his demand for captaincy during the trade deal negotiations, nothing was revealed on that part. The 37-year-old is back at the franchise where he started off as a teenager and if RR are looking at a short-term option, Jadeja might be a strong choice.

 

Dhruv Jurel

 

Another youngster who is making his mark in domestic cricket, Jurel has also done justice to his brief Test career so far. The wicket-keeper batter has a sharp cricketing brain and has been lauded for his leadership skills. He is the dark horse in RR's captaincy race and if the Royals want to take an unconventional call, Jurel is the man.

 

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