GUWAHATI: Rajasthan Royals have appointed Riyan Parag as the captain for the team's first three matches of the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL). The announcement comes after regular captain Sanju Samson decided to delay his return to captaincy until full recovery from his injury.
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While Samson has been cleared to bat, he remains unfit to resume wicketkeeping duties.
The franchise made the official announcement on Thursday, March 20, through their social media handles, sharing a video of Samson informing the team about Parag’s new role. The post read, “Update: Sanju will be playing our first three games as a batter, with Riyan stepping up to lead the boys in these matches!”
This will be the first time Riyan Parag, who joined Rajasthan Royals in 2019, will lead the side. The 23-year-old right-handed batter from Assam has been the subject of criticism for his performances in previous seasons. However, he made a strong comeback in IPL 2024, establishing himself as one of the team’s top performers.
Ahead of the 2025 season, Parag caught the attention of his teammates and coaches with a stunning 144 runs off just 64 balls during a training session.
Sanju Samson, who underwent surgery for a finger injury during India’s T20I series against England, has resumed training this week after completing his rehabilitation at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. Though he will not be available for wicketkeeping duties in the first three matches, Samson will feature as a batter. Dhruv Jurel will take over the wicketkeeping responsibilities in Samson’s absence.
Rajasthan Royals, who won the IPL title in 2008, will begin their IPL 2025 campaign against Sunrisers Hyderabad in Hyderabad on March 23. They will play against Kolkata Knight Riders and Chennai Super Kings on March 26 and March 30 respectively in Guwahati.
