Chandigarh 20 march 2025 (Punjab Khabarnama Bureau): Rajasthan Royals’ batter Riyan Parag has been named the side’s captain for the first three matches of IPL 2025, the franchise announced on Thursday. The announcement follows Sanju Samson’s decision to delay his return as captain until he regains full fitness; though cleared to bat, he remains unfit for wicketkeeping duties.
The Royals took to their official social media handles to confirm the announcement, as they shared the video of Sanju announcing Parag as the skipper in a 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.
This will be the first time Riyan Parag will lead the Royals since beginning his IPL career with the same franchise in 2019. The right-handed batter from Assam endured tough outings, and faced severe criticism for his poor performances with the bat throughout his first five seasons; however, Parag redeemed himself last year, emerging as one of the top performers in the league.
The batter scored 573 runs in 16 matches for the franchise at a strike rate of nearly 150 (149.3).
Summary: Rajasthan Royals appoint Riyan Parag as captain, while uncertainty looms over Sanju Samson’s participation in the first three matches of IPL 2025.