By Admin 
IPL 2026: Before IPL 2026, Rajasthan Royals had taken a big and shocking decision. Team captain Sanju Samson was traded and sent to Chennai Super Kings. In exchange for this trade, Rajasthan included experienced all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja and England’s Sam Curran in its team. After Sanju’s departure, the biggest question now is who will take over the captaincy of Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2026?
Rajasthan played the 2025 season under the captaincy of Sanju Samson. During that time Riyan Parag was made the vice-captain. Riyan Parag also took command of the team in some matches when Sanju was unfit. In such a situation, he is considered a strong contender in the captaincy race.
Social media post increased the stir
Rajasthan Royals recently shared a photo of Ravindra Jadeja on social media. The caption of this post read, “Thalapathy soon.” In Tamil language “Thalapathy” means leader or commander. This one line has intensified the discussion among the fans whether Jadeja will be given the new responsibility of the team. However, no official announcement regarding captaincy has been made by the franchise yet.
🔜 Thalapathy 🔥 pic.twitter.com/xPPX5z3Sco
— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) January 4, 2026
Many names in the race for captaincy
Rajasthan Royals currently have many options for captaincy. Apart from Riyan Parag, the young players include names like Dhruv Jurel and Yashasvi Jaiswal, who are considered future leaders. But if seen in terms of experience, Ravindra Jadeja’s name comes at the top.
Jadeja is not only a senior player, but he also has long experience of the Indian team and IPL. He has learned to handle pressure well in big matches, which is the most important quality for a captain.
old relation with rajasthan
Ravindra Jadeja has a long relationship with Rajasthan Royals. When Rajasthan Royals won the first IPL title in 2008, Jadeja was also a part of the team. In 2009 also, he was seen in the jersey of Rajasthan Royals. After this, he joined Chennai Super Kings in 2012 and remained the backbone of the team for a long time.