The Rajasthan Royals announced on March 20 that Riyan Parag will captain the team for the first three IPL 2025 games. Regular captain Sanju Samson suffered a finger injury, necessitating the stop-gap arrangement. Samson is expected to participate as a pure batsman till he receives the all-clear to field and take wickets. After he is fully recovered, he will return as captain.
“I’m not completely fit for three or more games,” Samson said in a video posted by the official RR handle on Instagram. “I think there are a lot of leaders from this group. From the last few years, there have been great people who have taken care of this environment really nicely. But for the three games, Riyan will be leading. He is well capable to do it and I expect everyone to be with him and support him.”
Sanju Samson, who joined the Royals team on Monday, had surgery on his finger last month and then attended the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru for rehabilitation. Until he is fully fit, Samson will probably be used as an Impact Sub, and Dhruv Jurel will likely shoulder wicketkeeping responsibilities. In February, during the fifth Twenty20 International match against England, Jurel replaced Samson when the latter was struck on the finger by a rising delivery from Jofra Archer.
Riyan Parag, who has been a member of the Royals setup since 2019, will be heading the team for the first time. With four half-centuries and 573 runs at an average of 52.09 and a strike rate of almost 150 (149.21), he had an incredible run in the previous IPL. India made their T20I and ODI debuts as a result of those exploits.
“Rajasthan Royals’ decision to hand Riyan the captaincy underscores the franchise’s confidence in his leadership, a skill he has demonstrated through his tenure as Assam’s domestic captain,” a statement from the franchise said. “Having been a crucial member of the Royals setup over the years, his understanding of the team’s dynamic makes him well-equipped to step into this role for the initial phase of the tournament.”
The Royals will play Sunrisers Hyderabad on March 23 to start the season. On March 26, they will play the reigning champion Kolkata Knight Riders at home, and on March 30, they will play the five-time champion Chennai Super Kings.
