captain of rajasthan royals Riyan Parag Admitting that the void left by Sanju Samson is irreplaceable, he said finding a replacement for the T20 World Cup hero is as difficult as replacing stalwarts like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the Indian team. Samson, who led Rajasthan Royals from 2021 to 2025, was traded to Chennai Super Kings in a big pre-season move, with Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran going in the opposite direction.
Having represented RR for 11 years across two tenures, Samson established himself as the franchise's most successful captain and leading run-scorer. Under his leadership, Rajasthan Royals reached the final of IPL 2022 and reached the playoffs again in 2024. His stature further increased after a sensational campaign in the T20 World Cup, where he delivered three consecutive match-defining performances to help India defend the historic title, and earn the Player of the Tournament award.
“If you talk about Sanju bhaiya, we never think of replacing a player like him. We might probably look for someone with similar skills or get someone to bat in his place… It seems like there is no replacement for Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma… Similarly, there is no replacement for Sanju bhaiya because he is such a good player,” Parag was quoted as saying by NDTV Sports at the pre-season press conference.
Parag, who took over the captaincy of RR after Samson's departure, admitted that the team needs to improve its strategy and planning after last season's disappointing performance. He pointed out that RR lost many close matches, which ultimately cost them dearly in the standings. The 2008 champions endured a forgettable campaign, suffering 10 defeats and finishing ninth in the 10-team table.
“The focus this year is on planning better and finishing games, which we could not do in the last edition. We need to plan well. Last year, there were about 5-6 games which we lost in the last over or even on the last ball. If we had been able to convert them, or we had made better calculations, this question (if RR had tried something new) would not have been asked because we would have qualified (for the knockouts) by winning those matches,” Parag said.
He said, “I think in every T20 match you have to take 3-4 decisions, which change the course of the game. If we take those small decisions with strategy and planning, then this year will be different.”
Parag also expressed his gratitude towards RR for supporting him despite some challenging seasons in the past. He acknowledged the franchise's confidence in his abilities, which has resulted in him now being handed the captaincy role. RR is set to begin its IPL 2026 campaign against CSK at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium on March 30.
Parag concluded, “I was here when I was just 17 years old and I have seen all the ups and downs, although till now there have been more ups than ups. I would like to thank Rajasthan Royals for supporting me and understanding the kind of cricketer I am.”
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