previous chennai super kings batter Ambati Rayudu Already supported rajasthan royals captain Ryanparagindicating that the young captain has already earned the trust and respect of his teammates at the beginning of his leadership role. Rajasthan defeated Gujarat Titans by six runs in a nail-biting match at the Narendra Modi Stadium on April 4. After posting 210/6, RR managed to restrict Gujarat to 204/8 to seal a slim but impressive victory. During the ESPNcricinfo discussion, Rayudu highlighted how Parag has adapted to the role and how the team seems to have responded positively to his leadership. “He’s done a fantastic job and I’m sure the coaching staff will give him all the freedom. I can easily see the RR team having a lot of respect for him. Well worth watching. When you have a young captain, the biggest challenge is earning respect. I can see a lot of respect for him in the team. They looked like they were enjoying themselves, which was a good sign. “ Parag named captain ahead of IPL 2026 Sanzhou Samson Moved to CSK. The 24-year-old already gained some leadership exposure last season, serving as stand-in captain while Samson was injured. Former Australia captain Aaron Finch also weighed in, pointing out a key factor that helped Parag ease into the role. He pointed to the lack of a dominant senior figure in the dressing room as a benefit to the young captain. “In that regard, it’s also important when you have a young captain – there’s no overshadowed figure who misses out on the opportunity to lead the team. There’s often resentment towards the guy who gets the job. He’s got a team of young superstars. He can pretty much guide them through the next stage of their careers and build a generation of really good players for RR.” Rajasthan have made a good start to the season under Parag’s leadership, winning two matches so far. While his individual returns with the bat were not great – 14 off 11 against CSK and eight against GT – he also contributed with the ball, taking the wicket of Kumar Kushagra in the latter game. With early results well underway and strong support from former players, Parag’s captaincy looks promising both in terms of results and dressing room dynamics.
