Riyan Parag will captain Rajasthan Royals for their first three matches in IPL 2025, skipper Sanju Samson confirmed. The Kerala keeper-batter has just recovered from a finger injury and joined the side earlier this week. Samson stated that he was not completely fit and hence handed over the reins of the team to young Parag.
Parag to lead RR in IPL 2025
In a video on social media platform X, Samson announced Parag as his successor for RR’s first three IPL games. However, Sanju will still be a part of the playing XI and will function as a pure batter. Parag is no stranger to captaincy, having led Assam in domestic tournaments. Since Sanju is confirmed to not keep wickets initially, he could be RR’s impact substitute for the first few games.
“I think I’m not completely fit for the next three games. So I think, there are lot of leaders in this group. I think from last few years, there have been some great people who have taken care of this environment. But for the next three games, Riyan will be leading the team,” Samson said.
— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) March 20, 2025
Update: Sanju will be playing our first three games as a batter, with Riyan stepping up to lead the boys in these matches!
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RR will kick-start their IPL 2025 campaign by taking on SRH on March 23. They will then face KKR on March 26 followed by a clash against CSK on March 30. It is for these three games that Parag will lead the side in place of Sanju Samson.
Samson suffered a fracture to his right index finger during the series against England earlier this year. He recently received a fitness clearance from the NCA and joined the RR camp after that. However, it looks like it will take some more time for the keeper-batter to gain complete fitness. It remains to be seen if Samson will keep wickets in IPL 2025. The team has Dhruv Jurel as the stand in keeper in the side.
