Following reports of Sanju Samson's potential trade to Chennai Super Kings, the Rajasthan Royals are seeking a new captain for IPL 2026. Yashasvi Jaiswal, Riyan Parag, and Dhruv Jurel are top contenders, each bringing unique leadership skills.

Sanju Samson and the Rajasthan Royals are expected to part ways as the Chennai Super Kings push hard to secure a trade deal with the Jaipur-based franchise ahead of the IPL 2026 retentions. CSK reportedly are willing to trade Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran to the Royals in exchange for Samson, finalizing a blockbuster swap that could reshape both teams ahead of the new season.

As Samson is set to move on from the Rajasthan Royals after 11 seasons, barring 2016 and 2017, when the franchise was banned due to match-fixing, the franchise's management will have to identify a new leader who can guide the team in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026. RR's management is expected to look at its core players who have been part of the franchise over the last few seasons to lead the team.

Here are three players who could take up captaincy duty as Sanju Samson prepares to exit the Rajasthan Royals ahead of IPL 2026.

Yashasvi Jaiswal is yet to get a leadership role at a senior level, as he has mostly contributed as a top-order batter for the Rajasthan Royals without any experience in the IPL or any senior domestic cricket. However, Jaiswal is touted as the next captain of Team India in the future, and leading RR could serve him as his first major leadership experience at a senior level. Having been associated with the Royals since 2019, Jaiswal knows the franchise's ethos and could well use this opportunity to develop his leadership skills on a big stage like the IPL.

If Sanju Samson exits the Rajasthan Royals and moves to the Chennai Super Kings, Yashasvi Jaiswal is expected to become the face of the franchise, given his meteoric rise in international cricket, and could be groomed as the team's future leader in the IPL. His relationship with Kumar Sangakkara, who returned as RR head coach after Rahul Dravid stepped down from the role after disappointing IPL 2025, could help Jaiswal transition smoothly into a leadership role.

Riyan Parag already has leadership experience under his belt, having led his home state team, Assam, in domestic cricket. In the last IPL season, Parag stepped into the captaincy role when Sanju Samson did not receive fitness clearance from the BCCI medical team due to a thumb injury. However, Parag's captaincy has come under scrutiny as the Royals won one game in three outings.

Parag could not fully capitalize on the opportunity, as the team struggled under his brief stint and lacked cohesion. However, the Assam all-rounder showed his leadership potential, suggesting he could be considered for future leadership roles if given the experience and guidance within the Rajasthan Royals setup.

Another player who can take over Rajasthan Royals' captaincy duties if Sanju Samson leaves the franchise is Dhruv Jurel. Jurel has been playing for the Rajasthan Royals since 2022 and has already emerged as the frontrunner to lead the team in the upcoming IPL season after he led the Central Zone team for the 2025‐26 Duleep Trophy. He also led India A in an unofficial Test against Australia A in Lucknow.

According to the report by the Times of India (TOI), the source close to RR stated that Dhruv Jurel is likely to pip Yashasvi Jaiswal for the captaincy role due to his 'multi-dimensional skills', given his wicketkeeping responsibilities, ability to finish off the game in the last few seasons, and most importantly, his control behind the stumps. Choosing Jurel would signal a shift to a keeper-leader model, ensuring continuity while emphasizing youth, similar to the Samson era.

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