Assam’s rising cricket star and Rajasthan Royals’ batter Riyan Parag has been named the side’s captain for the first three matches of IPL 2025, the franchise announced on Thursday.
This will be the first time Riyan Parag will lead the Royals since beginning his IPL career with the same franchise in 2019.
The young all-rounder will take charge in the opening fixture against Sunrisers Hyderabad on March 23, followed by home encounters against defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders on March 26 and five-time champions Chennai Super Kings on March 30.
The brand new season of the Indian Premier League is all set to start from March 22 and the season opener will be played between Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).
Ahead of the season, Rajasthan Royals have announced the change in their leadership for the first three matches of the season.
The announcement follows Sanju Samson’s decision to delay his return as captain until he regains full fitness; though cleared to bat, he remains unfit for wicketkeeping duties.
The Royals took to their official social media handles to confirm the announcement, as they shared the video of Sanju announcing Parag as the skipper in a team meeting.
“Update: Sanju will be playing our first three games as a batter, with Riyan stepping up to lead the boys in these matches!” the Royals wrote.
💪 Update: Sanju will be playing our first three games as a batter, with Riyan stepping up to lead the boys in these matches! 💗 pic.twitter.com/FyHTmBp1F5
— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) March 20, 2025
Sanju Samson, an integral part of the Royals set-up, will remain a key contributor with the bat till he gets cleared for wicket-keeping and fielding. He will return as captain once fully fit.
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.
The right-handed batter from Assam endured tough outings, and faced severe criticism for his poor performances with the bat throughout his first five seasons; however, Parag redeemed himself last year, emerging as one of the top performers in the league.
The batter scored 573 runs in 16 matches for the franchise at a strike rate of nearly 150 (149.3).
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.
Rajasthan Royals won the Indian Premier League (IPL) in the inaugural edition in 2008. The team then lifted the silverware under the captaincy of the Australian stalwart Shane Warne.
