Riyan Parag Appointed as Rajasthan Royals Captain for First Three Matches of IPL 2025

Rajasthan Royals have announced that Riyan Parag will lead the team for the first three matches of IPL 2025. The young all-rounder will take charge in the opening fixture against Sunrisers Hyderabad on March 23, followed by home encounters against defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders on March 26 and five-time champions Chennai Super Kings on March 30.

Sanju Samson, an integral part of the Royals set-up, will remain a key contributor with the bat till he gets cleared for wicket-keeping and fielding. He will return as captain once fully fit. 

Rajasthan Royals’ decision to hand Riyan the captaincy underscores the franchise’s confidence in his leadership, a skill he has demonstrated through his tenure as Assam’s domestic captain. Having been a crucial member of the Royals setup over the years, his understanding of the team’s dynamic makes him well-equipped to step into this role for the initial phase of the tournament.

With an experienced core, dynamic young talents, and a well-structured leadership transition, Rajasthan Royals remain committed to a strong start in IPL 2025.

Parag on Skipper duties for IPL 2025

The Royals took it to their social media handles and announced Riyan Parag as their new Captain, confirming that Sanju Samson will join the team later in the IPL. They shared a video of Sanju announcing Parag as their new skipper during the team meeting.

“Update: Sanju will be playing our first three games as a batter, with Riyan stepping up to lead the boys in these matches!” the Royals wrote.

💪 Update: Sanju will be playing our first three games as a batter, with Riyan stepping up to lead the boys in these matches! 💗 pic.twitter.com/FyHTmBp1F5

— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) March 20, 2025

This is the first time that Riyan will take charge of the skipper duties since the beginning of his IPL Career. He started with Rajasthan Royals in 2019 as a player and now will lead the team for three matches. Sanju Samson will play as an impact player in the first three matches of the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The Centre of Excellence has cleared him for the batting duties but not cleared him to keep wickets so that he will feature only as a batter. And following this Riyan will feature as the new skipper till Samson returns for the team.