There was a sudden change in the captaincy of Rajasthan Royals during IPL 2026. Today (May 19), in the 64th league match of the season, the teams of Rajasthan and Lucknow Super Giants are facing each other at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur. In the match, Yashasvi Jaiswal came on the field for the toss as the captain for Rajasthan.

Why was there a change in captaincy?

Yashasvi Jaiswal told at the time of the toss that Rajasthan’s regular captain Riyan Parag is not playing in the match due to hamstring injury. Jaiswal said, “He has a hamstring injury and I hope he recovers soon. Therefore, he is not playing in this match.” However, it was not clear for how many matches Parag would be out. By the way, Rajasthan is playing its 13th league match today. After this only one more league match is to be played. However, the team has a chance to make it to the playoffs.

What did Yashasvi Jaiswal say on becoming the captain of Rajasthan?

On getting the captaincy of the team, Yashasvi Jaiswal said, “It means a lot to me and it is always a matter of pride for me to represent the Rajasthan Royals franchise.”

The match is important for Rajasthan from playoff point of view

This match will be very important for Rajasthan in terms of securing a place in the playoffs. To make it to the top-4, Rajasthan will have to win the match against Lucknow today.

At present Rajasthan has 12 points in 12 matches. By winning against Lucknow, the team can reach 14 points. After this, the team can get 16 points by winning the last match.

The thing to note is that only one slot is left for the playoffs, for which there is a fight between 5 teams. These teams include Rajasthan Royals, Punjab Kings, Chennai Super Kings, Delhi Capitals and Kolkata Knight Riders. Only Rajasthan has a chance to get 16 points. Hence. Rajasthan can enter the direct playoffs by winning both the matches.

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