NEW DELHI: With just a few days to go before the retention deadline for the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL), a lot is happening in the Rajasthan Royals (RR) camp as the franchise looks for a complete overhaul.The Royals have been one of the most active franchises in recent weeks. There has been a shake-up in the coaching staff, with former Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara returning to RR as head coach after the exit of Rahul Dravid. Sangakkara has also been RR’s Director of Cricket since 2021. The franchise has also parted ways with CEO Jake Lush McCrum.
As TimesofIndia.com reported on Sunday, the Royals’ current captain Sanju Samson is highly likely to be traded to the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in exchange for Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran or Matheesha Pathirana.With Samson on the move, the question of captaincy has also heated up in the RR camp.
Who after Sanju Samson?
Sanju Samson has captained RR in 67 matches. Under his leadership, the Royals have won 33 games and lost 33 as well. It was under his captaincy that RR reached the final in IPL 2022 and the playoffs in IPL 2024.The big headache for Sangakkara and Co. right now will be to find a new captain.Those tracking the developments have told TimesofIndia.com that wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel, a homegrown talent of the Royals, is the pick of many who matter in the franchise set-up. Team India opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, who also made his IPL debut for the Royals, is another name the franchise is considering.In the 2025 edition of IPL, when Sanju missed a few matches due to injury, Riyan Parag led RR. Parag, another homegrown talent in whom the Royals have invested heavily, doesn’t look to be in the race for now as Jurel’s stocks are on a bull run.It is also learnt that both Jaiswal and Jurel, who are very close to Sangakkara, were told to be ready for the captaincy when the duo were in England for the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.Sources close to the franchise believe that Jurel might pip Jaiswal for the captaincy role because of his multi-dimensional skills. Jurel can keep wickets, has established himself as a finisher in the past few seasons, and most importantly, as a keeper, plays a pivotal role in controlling the game from behind the stumps.With the ‘Impact Player’ rule, Jaiswal, an opener, can be substituted for a bowler and vice versa. With Jurel at the helm, it gives the team more flexibility.
Change of Venue?
It is well-documented that the Rajasthan Royals franchise and the Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA) have not been on the best of terms. During IPL 2025, the row hit a new low after the RCA accused RR of match-fixing.TimesofIndia.com had reported that the main reason behind the dispute was the distribution of tickets, as the RCA, which is now a dissolved body, was unhappy with the number of complimentary tickets given to them.Now, in a recent development, TimesofIndia.com has learnt that the franchise is also looking for a new venue as they plan to leave the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur.
Poll
Who should be the next captain of Rajasthan Royals?
RR are not the first franchise to request a change of venue. Earlier, Punjab Kings had done the same as they were unhappy with the turnout in Mohali. Now, Punjab Kings play half of their matches at the newly built PCA Stadium in Mullanpur and at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) Stadium in Dharamshala.During IPL 2025, the Royals played their first two games at the ACA Stadium in Guwahati, Assam. TimesofIndia.com has learnt that the franchise is keen to shift their base from Jaipur to Guwahati as well.But more than the venue, it’s the captaincy piece they want to address with Samson trade talk in the completion stages. The candidates are decided, and if there is no last-moment change of heart, both Jurel and Jaiswal could be locked in a photo finish as both are rated very highly by the franchise.
