In a surprising turn of events, Riyan Parag has been named captain of the Rajasthan Royals captain for the side’s first three matches in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025.

Sanju Samson’s decision is prompted by his delay in recovering on time from his injury, which will restrict his role only as a batter and may be used only as an impact substitute if the need arises. Sanju though not fully fit, has been cleared to bat.

The Royals took to their official social media handles to confirm the announcement, as they shared the video of Sanju announcing Riyan Parag as the skipper in a team meeting.

Sanju Samson’s Injury Update

Samson had suffered the injury after being struck by a bouncer from Jofra Archer during India’s five-match T20I series against England.  Samson underwent surgery and was recuperating at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru to be ready on time for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025.

Unfortunately, there is a delay of few matches for Sanju Samson to be fully fit to don the gloves or do fielding duties.

Sanju’s unavailability has prompted the Rajasthan Royals (RR) think tank to appoint Riyan Parag to lead the side in the interim.

Sanju is likely to play as an Impact Sub in the IPL for the first three games.

Samson is expected to return as captain once fully fit, an RR release said.

“I’m not completely fit for three or more games”, Samson said in a video posted by the official RR handle on Instagram. “I think there are a lot of leaders from this group. In the last few years, there have been great people who have taken care of this environment really nicely. But for the three games, Riyan will be leading. He is well capable of doing it and I expect everyone to be with him and support him.”

Riyan Parag’s Captaincy: A Controversial Choice?

 Riyan Parag has been in the squad since 2019 when he joined the Indian Premier League.

Rajasthan Royals‘ decision to appoint Riyan Parag has not gone down well by fans on social media who have questioned RR management’s rationale, when the squad had an Indian International, Yashasvi Jaiswal who has been a consistent performer .

Nepotism playing a part in the decision?

 Riyan Parag is the son of Parag Das, a former cricketer for Assam, and Rajasthan Royals‘ Executive Chairman, Ranjit Barthakur, is the brother of Parag Das.

Riyan Parag was severely criticized for his poor performance with the bat for the first five seasons in Rajasthan. The RR franchise was also criticized for retaining Riyan Parag after 4 years of underperformance.

Riyan redeemed himself and had a good 2024 season and was one of the top performers for RR in the league.

Based on one good year, Riyan was retained by Rajasthan Royals (RR) for a whooping INR 14 crore in the mega auction which raised a few eyebrow.

The 2024 season both on the domestic front and in the IPL has been a great year for Riyan Parag . In the last IPL season, He scored 573 runs which even helped him earn a T20I and an ODI debut for India.

From the Rajasthan Royal Franchise

“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,” a statement from the franchise said. “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.”

Riyan Parag – The RR Captain

 Riyan Parag will be captaining the Rajasthan Royals for the first time but has captaincy experience having captained the Orissa Team in domestic cricket. He will be the 5^th youngest to lead an IPL team.

Parag’s first assignment will be the opening fixture against Sunrisers Hyderabad on March 23, followed by home games in Guwahati against defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders on March 26 and Chennai Super Kings on March 30.

Parag has won 10 of 17 matches leading Assam in T20 cricket between 2021 and 2023 but leading an IPL team is equivalent to leading an international side with top internationals in the side.

Fan Reactions and Social Media Buzz

The news exploded on IPL Twitter and Instagram, with mixed reactions from fans and cricket pundits. While some appreciated Parag’s comeback and development into a mature player, others questioned whether his elevation to captaincy is truly merit-based or influenced by internal favoritism.

Memes, polls, and debates flooded IPL fan pages, and hashtags like #RiyanParagCaptain, #NepotismInIPL, and #SanjuSamsonInjury began trending.