Is Dhruv Jurel the new Rajasthan Royals captain for IPL 2026? RR's cryptic post amid Sanju Samson trade buzz

Mayank Bande

Is Dhruv Jurel the new Rajasthan Royals captain for IPL 2026? RR's cryptic post amid Sanju Samson trade buzz image

BCCI, Sportzpics

Over the past few weeks, the Rajasthan Royals (RR) have been in the news, with star players like captain Sanju Samson rumored to be leaving the franchise.

There have been contradicting reports regarding the star batter seeking an exit to end the 12-year association with the franchise.

While some rumors suggest the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are interested and approached RR for a cash trade, others link him to the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) as a long-term replacement for MS Dhoni.

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Amidst all the buzz around Samson's possible exit from the pink city, the RR social media team has made a cryptic post, terming him a captain.

In this article, TSN explores the possibility of Dhruv Jurel becoming the next RR captain.

READ MORE: Will Samson be traded from RR ahead of IPL 2026?

Is Dhruv Jurel the next RR captain?

RR posted on all their social media channels on the morning of August 8, featuring an image of Jurel sitting in his India whites with 'Captain Jurel' as the image caption.

Despite the timing of the news around Samson's exit, this post from RR is made to congratulate Jurel for being named the captain of the Central Zone for the Duleep Trophy 2025.

The blazer in the background of the image also shows a BCCI crest with 'Duleep Trophy 2025 - Central Zone' written over it.

However, should Samson move on from RR, the possibility of Jurel being named as their new captain cannot be denied.

MORE: Sanju Samson is RR's undisputed captain for IPL 2026 - Another Report quashes Rajasthan Royals trade speculation

Riyan Parag, who captained them in Samson's absence in 2025, will remain a frontrunner alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal to take over the responsibility.

The Duleep Trophy will begin from August 28, and Jurel's Central Zone will face the North East Zone at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Singahalli, Karnataka.

Central Zone Squad for Duleep Trophy 2025:

Dhruv Jurel (c) (wk), Rajat Patidar (vc – subject to fitness clearance), Aryan Juyal, Danesh Malewar, Sanjeet Desai, Kuldeep Yadav, Aditya Thakre, Deepak Chahar, Saransh Jain, Ayush Pandey, Shubham Sharma, Yash Rathod, Harsh Dubey, Manav Suthar, Khaleel Ahmed.

Mayank Bande

Mayank Bande has been a content producer at The Sporting News since 2023 and has extensive experience in cricket writing. His work has previously appeared on platforms like OneCricket and Last Word on Sports. Beyond cricket, Mayank closely follows football as an FC Barcelona supporter, along with tennis and Olympic sports. Despite holding a degree in Business Administration, he chose to pursue a career in sports, bringing sharp analysis to his writing as someone who once played cricket.