Riyan Parag’s captaincy debut at his home ground in Guwahati turned into a disappointing affair as Rajasthan Royals suffered their second consecutive loss in IPL 2025. The Kolkata Knight Riders secured an emphatic eight-wicket victory at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium, further dampening the spirits of the home crowd.
Parag, who made history as Assam’s first male cricketer to represent India and lead an IPL team, captained against Sunrisers Hyderabad on March 23. This achievement added his name to the elite list of RR captains, including legends like Shane Warne, Shane Watson, Rahul Dravid, Steve Smith, Ajinkya Rahane, and Sanju Samson.
The temporary leadership role came to Parag due to regular captain Sanju Samson’s finger injury, which prevents him from fielding and wicketkeeping. Samson, now 30, has participated in both matches as an Impact Player during batting, showcasing his resilience despite the injury.
The young captain now holds an unwanted record of being the first in the Rajasthan Royals’ history to lose their opening two matches. The first defeat came against SRH by 44 runs, where RR conceded a staggering 286 runs, marking the second-highest total in IPL history. The subsequent loss to KKR only added to the woes of the team and its new captain.
Parag is set to continue leading RR in their next match against Chennai Super Kings in Guwahati on March 30. However, fans and the team alike are hopeful that regular captain Sanju Samson will resume his duties for the match against Punjab Kings on April 5 at Mullanpur’s Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium.
Meanwhile, Sanju Samson shares the record for the most wins as RR captain with Shane Warne, both securing 31 victories. Samson also became only the second captain after Warne to guide RR to an IPL final in 2022. Under Warne’s leadership, the team clinched their only IPL title in the inaugural 2008 season, a feat that remains a benchmark for the franchise.
Here’s a look at the performance of Rajasthan Royals captains after their first two IPL matches:
- Shane Warne: 1 win, 1 loss
- Shane Watson: 1 win, 1 loss
- Rahul Dravid: 2 wins, 0 losses
- Steve Smith: 2 wins, 0 losses
- Ajinkya Rahane: 1 win, 1 loss
- Sanju Samson: 1 win, 1 loss
- Riyan Parag: 0 wins, 2 losses