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Sanju Samson’s trade to Chennai Super Kings (CSK) has left a significant leadership void at Rajasthan Royals for the upcoming IPL 2025. New acquisitions Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran strengthen the team, but the question remains: who will be the new captain of Rajasthan Royals?
Legendary Indian spinner Anil Kumble and former CSK and India batter Robin Uthappa felt the race came down to two names for the captaincy of the 2008 IPL champions, leaving young Indian opener Yashasvi Jaiswal out of the equation.
Who is in the captaincy race at Rajasthan Royals
Rajasthan Royals have made big moves ahead of the IPL Auction 2026 by bringing in experienced all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran. They also acquired players like Ravi Bishnoi, Adam Milne, Kuldeep Sen and Vignesh Puthur from Abu Dhabi to strengthen their balance.
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However, leadership remains the main talking point after Sanju Samson was traded to Chennai Super Kings (CSK), with the Royals receiving Jadeja and Curran in return. There were already speculations that Jadeja joined RR on the promise of captaincy, but in IPL 2025, Riyan Parag stepped in as captain whenever Samson was unavailable.
Parag’s captaincy has reportedly caused unrest among some younger players, while Jadeja brings previous experience as captain, having led CSK in 2022 for almost half the season, making him the obvious choice for the captaincy.
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Uthappa believes the captaincy race is likely between Parag and Jadeja, which could push Jaiswal into a holding role despite his importance to the franchise. He also highlighted the depth of RR’s squad, highlighting their wide options in all departments which can lead them to a good season.
Robin Uthappa said in JioStar’s ‘TATA IPL Auction Review’: “Rajasthan Royals’ advantage is the fact that they have 10 fast bowlers, giving plenty of options. If they bowl in the right areas at SMS Stadium in Jaipur, they can be very successful.
With spinners like Bishnoi and Jadeja, support from Shimron Hetmyer and Donovan Ferreira and depth in the batting order with Dhruv Jurel and Riyan Parag, they now have a well-balanced team. The only question is leadership. My feeling is that the captaincy position will probably be between Riyan Parag and Ravindra Jadeja, while Jaiswal may have to wait a little longer.
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Meanwhile, Kumble termed leadership as the most decisive factor for the success of Rajasthan Royals. He believes the team has a good mix of youth, experience and overall ability, but clarity around the captain is very important to their turnaround next season.
The former Indian head coach has named Dhruv Jurel as the best option for the captaincy. Kumble said: “When you look at this line-up, the captaincy will be the most deciding factor. If you want to replicate the kind of personality that Sanju Samson brought to the Rajasthan Royals, Dhruv Jurel is probably the closest match.”
He concluded by saying, “Beyond that, the team is strong, with talented youngsters, established players and all-rounders. The fitness of key players like Jofra Archer at the start of the IPL is also crucial. Ultimately, the management needs to identify and communicate who will be the captain.”
