Riyan Parag is the No. 1 contender

Former India wicketkeeper-batsman Saba Karim opined that Riyan Parag and Yashasvi Jaiswal, apart from Ravindra Jadeja, could be the contenders for Rajasthan Royals (RR) captaincy in IPL 2026. He felt that the Jaipur-based franchise could opt for Parag as their skipper.

RR traded Sanju Samson to the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) ahead of the IPL 2026 auction. In return, they traded Jadeja and Sam Curran from the Chennai-based franchise.

During a discussion about star sportsSaba noted that while Jadeja will surely be part of the Royals’ leadership group, Parag is the leading contender to become the captain of the franchise during IPL 2026.

“I think the talks would still center on whether Ravindra Jadeja should be named captain or not because there are two contenders in the Rajasthan Royals team – Riyan Parag and along with him, Yashasvi Jaiswal. Ravindra Jadeja will definitely be part of the leadership core and Rajasthan Royals will need that kind of experience,” the former India selector said.

“I think Rajasthan Royals can go for Riyan Parag because he has led Assam. His performance in white-ball cricket has been quite good. He also has international experience. Rajasthan Royals have treated Riyan Parag very much like Sanju Samson and he has been built for this leadership role. So, in my opinion, Riyan Parag is the number one contender right now,” he added.

With 393 runs at a strike rate of 166.52 in 14 innings, Riyan Parag He was the second highest run-getter for Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2025. Only Yashasvi Jaiswal (559 runs at a strike rate of 159.71 in 14 innings) scored more runs for the franchise in this year’s edition of the prestigious league.

“Both players would have been given clarity before the trade” – Saba Karim on Sanju Samson and Ravindra Jadeja trade ahead of IPL 2026 auction

In the same discussion, Saba Karim opined that Sanju Samson and Ravindra Jadeja’s roles in their respective new franchises would have been clearly defined before their trade.

“Sanju Samson’s arrival at CSK is a clear indication that a different role has been defined for him. I think both players would have been given clarity before the trade, and that’s why they both decided it would be ideal for them,” he said.

The cricketer-turned-commentator added that CSK’s effort ahead of IPL 2026 would be to build a team that can serve them well for years to come.

“It would be ideal for the team atmosphere if one player went to Rajasthan Royals and the other, Sanju Samson, to CSK. The way forward for CSK is very easy. They are trying to build a team that can serve them properly for at least two-three years,” observed Saba.

Sanju Samson has moved to Chennai Super Kings at his current price of ₹18 crore. Ravindra JadejaHowever, he took a pay cut and moved to the Rajasthan Royals for a reduced purse of ₹14 crore.