Disappointing Home Debut in Guwahati
Riyan Parag made his captaincy debut for Rajasthan Royals (RR) at his home ground in Guwahati, but the moment was bittersweet as the team suffered their second consecutive loss in IPL 2025. After a 44-run defeat to Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on March 23, RR fell again—this time to Kolkata Knight Riders by eight wickets at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium.
First Assamese Male to Captain an IPL Side
Parag made history by becoming the first male cricketer from Assam to both represent India and captain an IPL franchise. With this milestone, he joined a distinguished list of RR captains, including Shane Warne, Shane Watson, Rahul Dravid, Steve Smith, Ajinkya Rahane, and Sanju Samson.
Temporary Captaincy Due to Samson’s Injury
The leadership role was temporarily handed to Parag due to regular skipper Sanju Samson suffering a finger injury. While Samson was still able to bat as an Impact Player in both games, he was unable to take on fielding or wicketkeeping duties, leaving Parag fully in charge on the field.
One More Match as Captain: RR vs CSK on March 30
Parag is expected to lead RR once more, at least, in their upcoming match against Chennai Super Kings on March 30 in Guwahati. Samson is likely to return to full captaincy duties on April 5 when RR faces Punjab Kings at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur.
Captaincy Comparison: Parag at the Bottom
Historically, all past RR captains have at least one win in their first two matches. Parag now holds the unfortunate record of being the only one to start with two straight losses:
| Captain | Wins | Losses |
|---|---|---|
| Rahul Dravid | 2 | 0 |
| Steve Smith | 2 | 0 |
| Shane Warne | 1 | 1 |
| Shane Watson | 1 | 1 |
| Ajinkya Rahane | 1 | 1 |
| Sanju Samson | 1 | 1 |
| Riyan Parag | 0 | 2 |
Samson Ties Warne’s Record for Most Wins as RR Captain
Meanwhile, Sanju Samson now shares the record for most wins as RR captain with the legendary Shane Warne—both with 31 victories. Samson also became only the second captain after Warne to lead RR to an IPL final, doing so in 2022. Warne, of course, famously led the team to their only IPL title back in the inaugural 2008 season.(cricket betting sites)