Former Team India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin made a huge statement on Rajasthan Royals (RR) captain Riyan Parag ahead of IPL 2026. Ashwin emphasized that the young batter must prioritize his individual batting form while leading the side as full-time captain during the Indian Premier League season.
The Rajasthan Royals management appointed Parag as their new permanent skipper following the trade of Sanju Samson to Chennai Super Kings (CSK). The Assam-born cricketer was preferred for the role ahead of international stars like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel, and veteran all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja.
I Thought Ravindra Jadeja Would Be The Captain – Ravichandran Ashwin
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ravichandran Ashwin expressed surprise regarding the final leadership choice. The veteran off-spinner assumed the Royals would hand Ravindra Jadeja the captaincy while developing Riyan Parag as the designated vice-captain.
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“Riyan Parag has captained Assam in domestic cricket. RR are a very systematic team; they would have interviewed him before making him the captain. I just hope they also put Yashasvi Jaiswal in the same pedigree and trust him to be the captain in the future.”
“Somewhere in my head, I thought Ravindra Jadeja would be the captain. They could have made him the captain and chosen Riyan as the vice-captain,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
“Riyan is still young, but he has played a decade of IPL cricket. It is such a big thing. I think Riyan, the captain, would have his task cut out. It is not that easy. Many youngsters want the captaincy in the IPL. They compete for it, they try and go hard for it,” he added.
Riyan Parag Has Ravindra Jadeja To Look To For Some Suggestions – Ravichandran Ashwin
Ravichandran Ashwin said that Riyan Parag will face a challenging IPL 2026 season as captain and must balance captaincy with his batting. He added that strong performances from Jofra Archer and the bowling unit could ease the pressure, while experienced players and support staff will play a key role.
“Handling an entire season, handling the roller coaster of wins and losses, won’t be that easy. You have to discuss things with coaches. RR are a very systematic team. They hold many meetings there. He also has to look after his batting form,” said Ashwin.
“It will be a challenging year. If the bowlers deliver, it will make his job easier. It’s not like that Parag has to look towards Jaiswal and Jurel; he has Ravindra Jadeja to look to for some suggestions. Hopefully, Kumar Sangakkara and the rest of the backroom staff can make his job a lot easier,” he added.
Riyan Parag Set For First Full-Time Captaincy Stint
The 2026 campaign will be the first full-time franchise captaincy stint for Riyan Parag. He previously led Rajasthan Royals in eight matches during the 2025 season while Sanju Samson recovered from injury, securing two wins and suffering six defeats.
Rajasthan Royals will begin their hunt for a second title with a match against Chennai Super Kings on March 30 at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati. The team have already lost English all-rounder Sam Curran for the entire season due to a groin injury.
Following the tournament opener, Rajasthan Royals will face Gujarat Titans on April 4 in Ahmedabad. They will then return to Guwahati to host Mumbai Indians on April 7 and Royal Challengers Bengaluru on April 10.
Parag has represented the franchise in 84 matches since 2019. He has scored 1,566 runs at an average of 26.10 and a strike rate of 141.84, including seven half-centuries.
Also read: EX-CSK all-rounder crowns Mumbai Indians as “Greatest Team In IPL History” ahead of IPL 2026
