RR New Captain: The captaincy saga for Rajasthan Royals in the upcoming IPL 2026 is not coming to an end anytime soon. One after another, names are emerging for the new captain of Rajasthan Royals.
RR New Captain
With that, former players are also coming up with their opinions on RR’s new captain for the upcoming season. Former Indian cricketer Robin Uthappa feels that Yashasvi Jaiswal might need to wait a little longer to get the captaincy of the Rajasthan Royals. The inaugural season winners of the Indian Premier League (IPL) brought Ravindra Jadeja back to the team and Sam Curran before the mini auction. However, the question that is in everyone’s mind is who will be captaining the side in 2026?
In the IPL 2025, Riyan Parag led the team in the absence of Sanju Samson, and this led to many reports that many young players in the RR camp were not happy with the decision.
Ahead of the IPL 2026, Sanju Samson has been traded to the five-time champions Chennai Super Kings; with that, the Royals got Jadeja and Curran. Jadeja, who was getting a whopping amount of Rs 18 crore at CSK, went to RR for just Rs 14.20 crore. This pay cut led to reports that Jadeja might have asked RR for the captaincy. However, as of now no official confirmation has come from the Rajasthan Royals camp. Jadeja led CSK in 2022, but midway the leadership went back to MS Dhoni.
“Jaiswal Might Need To Wait A Bit Longer”: Robin Uthappa
Uthappa stated that Parag and Jadeja are the ones who could captain the franchise in the coming season, due to which Jaiswal will be on the back foot.
He said,
“The advantage Rajasthan Royals have is the fact that they have 10 fast bowlers, offering a lot of options. If they bowl in the right areas at SMS stadium, Jaipur, they can be very successful. With spinners like Bishnoi and Jadeja, support from Shimron Hetmyer and Donovan Ferreira, and depth in the batting order with Dhruv Jurel and Riyan Parag, they now have a well-rounded team.”
“The only question is leadership. My feeling is the captaincy will likely be between Riyan Parag and Ravindra Jadeja, while Jaiswal might need to wait a bit longer.”
“Dhruv Jurel Is Probably The Closest Match”: Anil Kumble
After Uthappa, former Indian spinner and Test skipper Anil Kumble stated the captaincy is one of the most decisive factors for any franchise, and it needs to be seen who will lead RR in the next season.
He said,
“When you look at this lineup, the captaincy will be the most decisive factor. If you want to replicate the kind of personality Sanju Samson brought to Rajasthan Royals, Dhruv Jurel is probably the closest match.”
“Beyond that, the squad is strong, with talented youngsters, proven players, and all-rounders. It is also crucial for key players like Jofra Archer to be fit at the start of the IPL. Ultimately, the management needs to identify and communicate who the captain will be.”
Now, after these names came as the frontrunners, it will be interesting to see who will turn out to be the Rajasthan Royals’ new captain in IPL 2026.
Also Read : ‘Start From Zero Again’: Smriti Mandhana’s Humble Reaction After 10,000 International Runs
