Rajasthan Royals marked a heartfelt moment for their captain, Riyan Parag, after a strong start to IPL 2026 that has drawn plenty of attention. Parag stepped into the leadership role following Sanju Samson’s trade to Chennai Super Kings. Since taking over, Parag’s captaincy has quickly become a talking point across Indian cricket circles, with many praising his bowling-fielding call-ups and in-game adjustments.
RR posted a toss photo on X showing Parag alongside Kolkata Knight Riders skipper Ajinkya Rahane. The image carried extra meaning because Parag previously played under Rahane during the time Rahane led the Royals. In the post, the franchise looked back at the skipper’s pathway from being guided early on by Rahane to now appearing as a full-time captain facing his former mentor.
“From being led by Ajinkya Rahane in his first days as a Royal to now walking out as our full-time captain against his first skipper, Riyan Parag’s journey is a beautiful reminder that growth takes time, belief and heart,” the Royals wrote. The message added: “Nearly seven years on, this feels special. Keep growing, Riyan Parag (C).”
The photo was captured on Sunday during the toss in Kolkata, where Rajasthan took on KKR. Parag won the toss and elected to bat. After the decision, he said, “Win or lose, our strategies remain the same. Our discussions remain the same. We always try and look at the mistakes we’ve made and try and look at what we’ve done better and what we can do better.”
Criticism and a captaincy defence
While Parag’s leadership has earned supporters, it has also attracted criticism. Former India batter Kris Srikkanth recently questioned the Royals’ approach, suggesting that Parag’s captaincy was leaning too heavily on “style.”
However, RR’s head coach and Director of Cricket Kumar Sangakkara pushed back on those views, explaining the selection process that brought Parag into the role. Sangakkara revealed there were five candidates involved, mentioning Sandeep Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja among them. He said the team followed strict parameters and that the franchise held detailed discussions with each contender before narrowing the decision.
“There were five candidates, including Sandeep Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja,” Sangakkara said. “We had very strict parameters as to how we are going to choose, what is the process, so we had lots of conversations with all candidates and we realised all are very capable of captaining our side.”
Sangakkara added that Parag emerged as the top option after the conversations, describing him as more settled and reflective in how he handled the questions put to him. He said the questions were tough and, at times, uncomfortable for everyone involved, but Parag’s maturity and outlook stood out.
“Riyan came across as the top candidate because in all his conversations, he seemed to have matured a lot. He was very reflective in answering all the questions and the questions were very tough, targeted questions. Some of those questions were quite uncomfortable for all of them,” Sangakkara explained. “Riyan, with his maturity, his vision, wanted not just to captain but to lead the team, it made him the leading candidate. We went with an open mind and gave due respect to all the players, gave all an equal chance and picked the best candidate,” he added.
