Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar has taken aim at Rajasthan Royals’ call to name Riyan Parag as the franchise’s full-time captain for IPL 2026. The ex-top-order campaigner believes Parag’s defining quality is an almost startling level of self-belief, but he questioned whether that confidence is being rewarded at the right time and for the right reasons.
Quick facts
- Sanjay Manjrekar criticised Rajasthan Royals for appointing Riyan Parag as full-time captain for IPL 2026.
- Manjrekar said Parag’s biggest trait is “unbelievable” self-confidence.
- He argued RR have made Parag a star despite limited batting output over the years.
- Parag has been with RR since 2019.
- Last week, Parag was involved in a controversy after being caught vaping in the dressing room during the match against Punjab Kings.
- Manjrekar referenced that Sanju Samson captained RR earlier before being removed, with Parag taking over afterward.
Manjrekar pointed to Parag’s presence and attitude as a key talking point, describing him as far from the usual template of an Indian player. He said Parag often looks physically fit and carries himself with a swagger, even while performances at the crease have not consistently backed up the confidence.
He also questioned the logic behind the promotion, suggesting that Parag’s elevation doesn’t add up from a cricketing standpoint. In Manjrekar’s view, the reward has come “too big” for returns that he labelled as mediocre, arguing that the player hasn’t “worked hard” enough to deserve such a leap.
Manjrekar drew attention to the captaincy timeline at RR, saying Sanju Samson had led the side for a few years before being dropped and replaced by Parag. While he avoided pinpointing the internal reasons, he insisted the shift doesn’t make sense to him, especially when judged purely on cricketing merit.
Confidence that can cut both ways
While criticising the decision, Manjrekar was clear that Parag’s confidence is real—and that is precisely what makes him intriguing. He said even in periods when Parag was not delivering with bat, his fielding and on-field actions still stood out, creating the sense of a player who is convinced of his own impact.
At the same time, Manjrekar warned that overconfidence can become a trap. He described Parag’s pattern as one built around sensational batting moments—arriving, landing a couple of sharp shots, and then getting out shortly after—before the next match brings the same cycle again.
In his assessment, the captain’s mindset pushes Parag to keep going after the attacking shots, even when they are not consistently coming off. Because he mis-hits so often and departs early, Manjrekar believes it prevents him from staying fully locked in on each scoring opportunity, leaving him as an “interesting character” under pressure.
Wrapping up his comments, Manjrekar singled out the central issue: RR’s captaincy backing for a player whose temperament, in his view, is both a strength and a weakness. He said he has never fully understood RR’s reasoning behind the appointment, given the gap between the confidence Parag shows and the batting output he has produced.
