Riyan Parag set to lead Rajasthan Royals as full-time captain Sanju Samson to only bat in first three games

As the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has not given clearance for wicketkeeping to Rajasthan Royals skipper Sanju Samson ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL), the franchise is set to have a new face as their captain.

Riyan Parag, 23, will lead RR for the first three matches, becoming one of the youngest IPL captains only after Virat Kohli. Sanju, however, will be available to bat and play as Impact sub, said the franchise in a social media post.

Rajasthan Royals, the 2008 champions, are set to kick off their IPL 2025 campaign with an away fixture against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on March 23 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad. The team, under Parag, will next have consecutive home matches, where they will face Kolkata Knight Riders on March 26 and Chennai Super Kings on March 30 at their second home venue, Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati.

Why is Samson unavailable?

During India’s T20I series against England in February, Samson had sustained an injury post which he was ruled out of the remainder of the series as he was required to undergo surgery. In the 5th T20I, when Samson was batting, he got hit on the finger by a Jofra Archer delivery, prompting his exit.

The wicketkeeper-batsman has been undergoing rehabilitation at the BCCI's Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru to get fully fit.

As he is not yet ready to take up the gloves, Dhruv Jurel could step in as the wicketkeeper for the initial matches.

Rajasthan Royals squad

Batters: Sanju Samson, Shubham Dubey, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Kunal Rathore, Shimron Hetmyer, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel, Riyan Parag
All-Rounders: Nitish Rana, Yudhvir Singh
Bowlers: Jofra Archer, Maheesh Theekshana , Wanindu Hasaranga, Akash Madhwal, Kumar Kartikeya Singh, Tushar Deshpande, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Kwena Maphaka, Ashok Sharma, Sandeep Sharma.