IPL 2025: Riyan Parag to captain Rajasthan Royals in first three matches as Sanju Samson continues injury recovery | Ipl News

Rajasthan Royals all-rounder Riyan Parag will lead the team in the first three matches of the IPL 2025 season as captain Sanju Samson continues to recover from a finger fracture and has yet to receive a clearance from the BCCI.
“Sanju will be playing our first three games as a batter, with Riyan stepping up to lead the boys in these matches,” read a statement shared the Royals on social media.
It is understood that the BCCI’s medical team has not cleared Samson yet for wicket-keeping duties, limiting his presence on the field for the Royals. Meanwhile, Parag recently missed nearly the entire domestic season after India’s tour to South Africa. The Assam batter only featured in a solitary Ranji Trophy match in January.

Update: Sanju will be playing our first three games as a batter, with Riyan stepping up to lead the boys in these matches! pic.twitter.com/FyHTmBp1F5
— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) March 20, 2025
The 23-year-old Parag could also become the third-youngest Indian captain in the IPL after Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina when he takes the field to lead the Royals in their opener on Sunday against SunRisers Hyderabad in Hyderabad. Rajasthan will then host defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders on March 26 and five-time winners Chennai Super Kings at home on March 30.
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Samson’s injury
The 30-year-old Samson suffered a left thumb fracture while batting for India in the fifth T20I against England at the Wankhede Stadium in January. Samson was hurt a rising delivery from his Rajasthan teammate, Jofra Archer, prompting him out of action for over a month.
While he has been undergoing rehabilitation at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, Samson will be replaced Dhruv Jurel as the wicket-keeper at the start of Rajasthan’s campaign.
Rajasthan Royals IPL 2025 squad
Batters: Sanju Samson, Shubham Dubey, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Kunal Rathore, Shimron Hetmyer, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel, Riyan Parag.All-Rounders: Nitish Rana, Yudhvir Singh.Bowlers: Jofra Archer, Maheesh Theekshana , Wanindu Hasaranga, Akash Madhwal, Kumar Kartikeya Singh, Tushar Deshpande, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Kwena Maphaka, Ashok Sharma, Sandeep Sharma.