Former player sends blunt message to Riyan Parag over transition from Assam captaincy to IPL

Riyan Parag will take on the significant responsibility of captaining the Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2026. Last season, Parag led the side in eight matches when Sanju Samson was unavailable, but the results were not impressive. RR won just two of those games, finishing second-last on the points table with only four victories and 10 losses out of 14 matches.

Heading into IPL 2026, the Rajasthan Royals made a bold decision to trade their regular captain, Samson, to the Chennai Super Kings in exchange for Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran. While Jadeja is expected to play for RR, Curran has been ruled out for the season due to injury.

Former cricketer spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has suggested that the Rajasthan Royals might have been better off naming Jadeja as captain, allowing him to guide Parag for the role. Despite Parag’s experience leading Assam in domestic cricket, Ashwin believes there’s a significant difference between captaining a state side and an IPL team.

“I’m not entirely confident in their leadership structure. If it were up to me, I would have made Ravindra Jadeja the captain for two years and allowed Riyan Parag to learn under him. Rajasthan Royals, being a data-driven team, will assist Parag, but I feel the role of captain is a lot for him to handle. He’s a free-spirited player. Yes, he’s led Assam, but there’s a big difference between captaining Assam and IPL,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.

“Jofra Archer can be inconsistent, and getting the best out of him will be a major challenge for Parag. While Ravi Bishnoi didn’t have the best season last year, he’s capable of bringing intensity, which will aid Parag. Ravindra Jadeja will continue to be his reliable self. Another key question for the team is where Shimron Hetmyer will bat,” he added.

IPL 2026 kicked off on Saturday, with Rajasthan Royals beginning their campaign against Chennai Super Kings on March 30 at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati.