Former Indian batsman Ambati Rayudu praised Riyan Parag How has he handled the responsibility of captaincy in Rajasthan Royals.
Defending 211 against Gujarat Titans, when 15 runs were needed from the last two overs, Parag turned to Jofra Archer and Tushar Deshpande, who conceded only four runs each, as the Royals won the thriller by just six runs.
Rayudu believes that Parag has earned the respect of his teammates, which is a great achievement for a young captain.
“He is doing a fantastic job and I am sure the coaching staff is giving him complete freedom. I can easily see that the RR group has a lot of respect for him. It is great to see. When you have a young captain, the biggest challenge is to gain that respect. I can see a lot of respect for him in the team. He seems to be enjoying himself, which is a good sign,” Rayudu said in a discussion on ESPN Cricinfo.
'No shadowy figures' – Aaron Finch
Former Australian captain Aaron Finch further said that Parag is fortunate that there are no influential people in the dressing room, which makes it much easier for him to perform his duties. Parag has previously captained the Royals in the absence of Sanju Samson, but following Samson's move to CSK, he has been handed full-time responsibilities for the 2026 season.
“It's also important in this regard that when you have a young captain – it's not someone who has missed the opportunity to lead the team. There can often be resentment towards the guy who has got the job. He's got a team of young superstars. He can almost guide them into the next phase of their careers and produce a generation of seriously good players for RR,” Finch said.
The Royals, who have won their opening two matches, will play Mumbai Indians on April 7 at the Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati.
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