The reports of the Rajasthan Royals (RR) captain Sanju Samson leaving the franchise ahead of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 mini auction has been a hot topic of discussion in recent week.
Samson, who joined RR in 2013 as a youngster, has been a mainstay at the franchise, eventually becoming the club's highest-ever run scorer and captain.
He was one of the six players that the Royals had retained from their 2024 squad before they headed into the mega auction. But if he leaves the team, there will be a huge gap to fill for the management.
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In this article, TSN takes a look at the options who can replace Samson as the captain in IPL 2026.
Who can become the new Rajasthan Royals captain?
Riyan Parag
Parag was chosen to lead the side when Samson was out of action due to multiple injuries during the IPL 2025 season. In 8 matches as a captain, he could only manage to win 2 and lost 6.
He has scored 1566 runs in his 72 innings for RR at an average of 26.10 and a strike rate of 141.84 with 7 fifties to his name. The 23-year-old's best season came in 2024, when he scored 573 runs in 14 innings, finishing third on the orange cap list.
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Yashasvi Jaiswal
Jaiswal is currently one of the most talented players across formats in world cricket. He is also regularly features for India in international cricket, which can work in his favor for the leadership role in the RR squad.
Since joining RR in 2020, Jaiswal has shown great consistency, scoring 2166 runs in 66 innings at an average of 34.38 and a strike rate of 152.85, with 2 centuries and 15 fifties.
Dhruv Jurel
Jurel is the third likely candidate to replace Samson as captain. He was retained for 14 crores ahead of the 2025 season, showing the management's faith in his potential.
As a wicketkeeper, he is the most like-for-like replacement for Samson as the captain. Additionally, in his 42-match IPL career, he has shown a promising ability to score quickly down the order.
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In 35 innings, he has racked up 680 runs at an average of 28.33 and a strike rate of 153.84. He has also scored 4 fifties in the league and is constantly around the Indian team.