The upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 will mark a defining moment for Riyan Parag, who is set to take on the full-time captaincy of Rajasthan Royals. The leadership shift comes after a bold pre-auction move last December in Abu Dhabi, where RR parted ways with their long-time captain, Sanju Samson. In a high-profile trade, Samson joined the Chennai Super Kings, while Rajasthan acquired experienced all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran. 

Parag is not entirely new to captaincy duties, having previously stepped in to lead the side during Samson’s injury absences. However, leading the team across an entire IPL season presents a different challenge. Meanwhile, former India all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin, sharing his views on the development, suggested that Parag has a demanding road ahead. He also revealed that he initially expected Jadeja, given his vast experience and leadership credentials, to be handed the captaincy.

"Riyan Parag has captained Assam in domestic cricket. RR are a very systematic team; they would have interviewed him before making him the captain. I just hope they also put Yashasvi Jaiswal in the same pedigree and trust him to be the captain in the future. Somewhere in my head, I thought Ravindra Jadeja would be the captain. They could have made him the captain and chosen Riyan as the vice-captain," Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.

"Riyan is still young, but he has played a decade of IPL cricket. It is such a big thing. I think Riyan, the captain, will have his task cut out. It is not that easy. Many youngsters want the captaincy in the IPL. They compete for it, they try and go hard for it. Handling an entire season, handling the roller coaster of wins and losses, won't be that easy. You have to discuss things with coaches. RR are a very systematic team. They hold many meetings there. He will have to look after his batting form," he added.

Nonetheless, with Jadeja's availability, Parag will have access to valuable on-field guidance. But Ashwin felt it would be a challenging year for him. 

"It will be a challenging year. If the bowlers deliver, it will make his job easier. It's not like that; Parag has to look towards Jaiswal and Jurel. He has Ravindra Jadeja to look to for some suggestions. Hopefully, Kumar Sangakkara and the rest of the backroom staff can make his job a lot easier," Ashwin said.