IPL 2026: How have Rajasthan Royals fared in seasons with a new captain?

The champions of the inaugural edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), Rajasthan Royals (RR), are going to embark on a new journey under the leadership of Riyan Parag. With Sanju Samson moving to Chennai Super Kings (CSK) via player trade, Parag has been handed over the leadership duties for the upcoming season. 

While the 24-year-old had his first taste of leadership in the 2025 season, having led his team in eight matches, the upcoming season is going to bring even bigger hurdles, with Parag expected to make tougher dressing room decisions without much influence from his seniors.

As he embarks on his first season as a full-time captain of the Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2026, here’s a look at how previous RR captains handled the burden of leadership in their first seasons as skippers:

1. Shane Warne (2008)

The most memorable season not just for Rajasthan but for Indian cricket overall, as the Indian Premier League (IPL), in its inception, set unprecedented standards for a cricketing event. Rajasthan came into the season tipped as the weakest squad on paper. However, Shane Warne, the captain, shut all the outside noise, making full use of the resources at his disposal.

Warne backed youngsters to the hilt and unearthed gems like Swapnil Asnodkar, Siddharth Trivedi and his ‘Rockstar’ Ravindra Jadeja. Rajasthan eventually emerged as the champions of the inaugural season, silencing their critics, and Shane Warne etched his and the franchise’s name with golden words in the tournament’s rich history.

2. Rahul Dravid (2012)

The great wall of Indian cricket was handed over the leadership baton of the Royals after Warne announced his retirement in 2011. However, the legendary cricketer had a tough time galvanising the group as Rajasthan kept teetering in the bottom four of the points table.

Some sporadic performances helped the team regain momentum in the second half of the tournament, but it still wasn’t enough to qualify for playoffs. In the end, Rajasthan finished seventh on the points table with seven wins from 16 matches, having 14 points to their name.

3. Shane Watson (2014)

Having served the franchise for five years with his all-around skills, Watson was finally given the leadership duties in 2014 after Rahul Dravid’s retirement. It was once again baptism by fire for the new skipper as the team endured a poor start, winning just one out of the first three matches.

However, the campaign gained momentum midway through the season as four consecutive wins almost brought them to the verge of playoff qualification. Much to their dismay, Rajasthan’s campaign ended in the league stage itself after the Mumbai Indians (MI) pulled off an improbable chase of 190 in just 14.4 overs to pip Rajasthan on net run rate and progress ahead in the event.

4. Ajinkya Rahane (2018)

Having proven his leadership acumen at the international level in the limited opportunities, Rahane was finally given the captaincy of the Royals as they made a return to the IPL in 2018. Unlike most skippers, the former India Test vice-captain enjoyed a good run in his debut season and managed to lead his team into the playoffs on their return.

Rajasthan got knocked out after losing in the Eliminator against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). However, Rahane’s calm leadership style signalled towards a beginning of a new chapter for Rajasthan.

5. Steve Smith (2020)

After filling in as skipper for Shane Watson in the 2014 and 2015 seasons, Smith finally got his first taste of leadership in IPL 2020. It was a return to a leadership role for Smith, who lost his Test captaincy after his involvement in the ball-tampering scandal during the Cape Town Test in 2018.

Under Smith, Rajasthan started strong, winning both of their opening fixtures. However, their campaign got derailed midway through the season, and they could never really recover, eventually finishing last on the points table with six wins from 14 matches and 12 points.

6. Sanju Samson (2021)

Having made a name for himself as a consistent performer for his franchise, Samson finally joined the list of illustrious names to lead the Rajasthan Royals in the 2021 season. However, the 26-year-old couldn’t do much to change his team’s fortunes as the franchise once again struggled for consistency and continued to reel at the heels of the points table.

Rajasthan eventually finished seventh on the points table with five wins from 14 matches, having 10 points to their name.