Former CSK batter Ambati Rayudu went on to claim that Rajasthan Royals skipper Riyan Parag has managed to earn the respect of the players despite being a very young leader of a franchise that comprises several star players like Yashasvi Jaiswal.
Rajasthan Royals took a very audacious stride forward, as they appointed young Riyan Parag as the new captain of the side, after Sanju Samson was traded off to the Chennai Super Kings. He has led the Royals by example.
The Rajasthan Royals, who finished 9th in the 2025 IPL points table, have made a stunning start in this season of the IPL. Under Riyan Parag’s leadership, the Royals have won back-to-back games, defeating the Chennai Super Kings and the Gujarat Titans.
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“I can see a lot of respect for him in the squad,” Ambati Rayudu’s latest opinion on RR skipper
Former CSK legend Ambati Rayudu has claimed that the Rajasthan Royals seemingly made the best decision by handing the captaincy to Riyan Parag, who has managed to earn immense love and respect from his teammates despite being a young leader.
He asserted that the team is seemingly enjoying playing under the new captain. This view came after Rayudu shared his views on ESPNcricinfo following the second successful win for the Royals in the season.
“He is doing a fantastic job and I am sure the coaching staff are giving him all the freedom. I can easily see the RR group having great respect for him. That is great to watch. When you have a young captain, the biggest challenge is to command that respect. I can see a lot of respect for him in the squad. They look to be enjoying themselves, which is a great sign,” claimed the former Indian batter.
Aaron Finch downplays Yashasvi Jaiswal for the captaincy role
Riyan Parag is just 24 years old and had also failed as the stand-in skipper in a few games last season, despite which the franchise and the new owners backed the youngster as their skipper. However, a former Australian batter has downplayed the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal for the role of a captain in the IPL.
Aaron Finch has pointed out that Riyan Parag is lucky enough that the current Rajasthan Royals squad does not have one such figure who can dominate Parag with his ambitions as a captain. He opined that had there been such a player, then he would have made Parag’s life difficult.
“What is also important in that regard, when you have a young captain, there is not an overshadowing figure who has missed that opportunity to lead the side. Often, there can be a resentment towards the person who has got the job. He has a team of young superstars. He can almost guide them through the next phase of their career and forge a generation of seriously good players for RR,” said Finch.
Yashasvi Jaiswal has been leading RR with the bat
Under Riyan Parag’s captaincy, the Rajasthan Royals have prospered through the toughest phase, often called the transition phase for a team comprising several youngsters. However, on the batting front, Parag has managed to score 14* of 11 balls and just 8 in the second match against the Gujarat Titans.
However, Yashasvi Jaiswal, on the other hand, smashed some towering hits, as he is the highest-scoring batter for the Royals. An unbeaten 38 in the first game and a promising half-century in the second game for the Royals opener have made his role crucial to the RR side.
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