IPL 2026: Top contenders to replace Sanju Samson as Rajasthan Royals’ Captain.
While the 2026 season of the IPL is more than seven months away, there already are rumours concerning the trade-offs and releases. Even though the IPL retentions are a couple of months away, the news that has picked up stream from various sources is about the potential departure of Sanju Samson from the Rajasthan Royals (RR).
It is being learnt that Sanju Samson is unhappy with how things are being run by the Rajasthan Royals management and that he wants a fresh start. Rahul Dravid came in as the mentor during the 2025 season, and there seems to be a difference in opinions in terms of how the franchise should move, between the two.Â
Adding to the woes, Samson got injured, had to miss quite a few games and was replaced by Riyan Parag as captain. Now if the reports are true, Samson wants to be either released by RR ahead of IPL 2026 season or be traded off to another franchise. If it does happen, who will be the captaincy candidate for the Rajasthan Royals going forward.
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Riyan Parag
The stand-in skipper of the Royals in the 2025 season could very well be the full-time captain of the franchise if Sanju Samson does part ways. In the absence of Samson owing to side strain, Parag was the one who led the team.Â
The brief captaincy stint by Parag last season can safely be judged as lackluster and clueless. Under his leadership, Royals won just two games and lost several games from winnable positions. He did score 270 runs in the games where he led the team, but that didn’t translate into wins for his side.
If RR are looking for a new skipper, it will be interesting to see if they go with a tried and tested Riyan Parag. Even though his captaincy record isn’t that great for the Royals, he has considerable experience in leading sides in the domestic circuit. In 2023/24 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Parag led his state side Assam to the semifinals for the first time and he was in the forefront, scoring 510 runs.
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Yashasvi Jaiswal
The future of India’s batting, Yashasvi Jaiswal, has been the most prolific batter for the Rajasthan Royals over the last few seasons. Since 2023, he has scored the most runs (1619) for the Royals at an average of over 40 and striking close to 160.
If the inaugural champions are looking at a fresh face for the leadership role, there is no better candidate than Jaiswal.
The young left-hander may not have much experience in terms of captaincy at any level, but he has already been in several high profile situations quite early on in his international career. So a leadership role could actually further bring out the best in him.
Dhruv JurelÂ
The final option that the Royals have as a captaincy candidate is the keeper-batter Dhruv Jurel. One of the regulars in Test format for India in recent times, Rajasthan Royals have shown plenty of trust in him.
He was retained by the franchise for a whopping ₹14 crore and this means, they believe him to be one for their future. Though his returns weren’t that impactful, he did show some spark of brilliance during his 333-run season in IPL 2025.
Also, the national selectors have appointed him as the skipper of the Central Zone team in the upcoming Duleep Trophy. So, the senior team management must have seen some leadership qualities in him. He will likely be the designated wicket-keeper for the Royals’ and being behind the stumps makes him an ideal captaincy candidate as he would be able to make better decisions.
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