“To go with Riyan Parag is definitely wrong”- S Badrinath feels Rajasthan Royals made a wrong decision ahead of IPL 2026

Former Tamil Nadu, India and Chennai Super Kings batter S Badrinath has expressed anger at Rajasthan Royals (RR) chose Riyan Parag as their captain ahead of the IPL 2026 tournament. He stated that Parag was the wrong choice made by Rr management as he wanted them to choose Yashasvi Jaiswal.

While Sanju Samson was out of the team, Parag took over as captain, however he was unable to lead the team in batting. After that, RR made the decision to back him once more, raising questions about the franchise's decision to delegate leadership duties to the youthful all-rounder. 

The former CSK batsman shared his opinions, saying that Jaiswal, who had already made a name for himself as a star, was the best candidate to be captain of the first IPL tournament.

"Yashasvi Jaiswal has represented India so much and is the future of Indian cricket. He is already playing Test and ODI cricket. So, to not back him and go with Riyan Parag is definitely wrong. Probably, Yashasvi Jaiswal doesn't have any relative who is an owner of RR (sarcasm). I also wonder if RR enticed Jadeja from CSK with captaincy discussions, but later it didn't materialise,” Badrinath said on his YouTube channel. 

The announcement follows previous captain Sanju Samson's four-season career at the helm being ended when he was moved to Chennai Super Kings prior to the auction. Since 2008, the Rajasthan Royals have had seven leaders, leading the team to six knockout stages and one IPL championship.

The young all-rounder was chosen over the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ravindra Jadeja, and Dhruv Jurel-all of whom are Indian cricket team regulars.

One of the most promising young players in Indian domestic cricket is still Riyan Parag. He is a vital player who can fill a variety of positions because of his ability to hit home runs and bowl. 

Prior to the 2026 season, the 24-year-old recently revealed his desire to captain the Rajasthan Royals.

“Rajasthan Royals has been my home in the IPL since day one. This franchise has backed me, developed me, and pushed me to grow every season. To now lead this team is incredibly special, and it’s a responsibility I fully embrace. I’m excited to work alongside our coaches and leadership group to play fearless, smart cricket and make our fans proud,” Parag stated.

Parag has played 83 IPL matches, scoring 1566 runs with a strike rate of more than 140.

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