Following Sanju Samson's move to the Chennai Super Kings, Riyan Parag has been named captain of the Rajasthan Royals ahead of IPL 2026. This marks the beginning of a new era for the franchise. Parag, who made his IPL debut in 2019, has played for the Royals every season for seven years. He briefly led the side in eight matches last year when Samson was sidelined by injury, managing two wins and six losses as the team finished ninth. Parag impressed with the bat, scoring 38.57 runs per game during the stint, including a career-high 95 against Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens. With a strike rate of 141.84, Parag has scored 1566 runs in 84 IPL matches. In 2024, he had his best season, scoring 573 runs with a strike rate of 149.21 percent. Even though he struck out at an even weaker 166.52 last season, his totals fell to 393, and he only scored one century. The Royals will enter IPL 2026 with a new leadership team because Rahul Dravid will also be leaving after the 2025 season. Kumar Sangakkara will take over alongside Parag in what promises to be a new chapter for the franchise.