Rajasthan Royals did injustice to Yashasvi-Jadeja! Srikanth surprised by Riyan Parag becoming the captain, said – the team will not become champion

New Delhi. Former Indian cricket team opener Krishnamachari Srikkanth has raised questions on the decision of Rajasthan Royals (RR) to appoint Ryan Parag as the captain in IPL 2026. Srikanth said that Parag is treated like a king in RR. Srikanth says that this responsibility could have been given to anyone among Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel and Ravindra Jadeja. Let us tell you that after Samson got injured in the last IPL season, Ryan captained the team in some matches, but was successful in winning only two.

Srikanth said on his YouTube channel, 'Rajasthan Royals' decision to make Riyan Parag the captain seemed surprising, especially when there were more experienced players than him in the team. The franchise may take such decisions, but despite the frequent ups and downs in Parag's performance, it seems that he is being given too much importance. There he is treated like a king. He said, 'Parag did not have a good season last year, but the year before that he had performed brilliantly. Despite this, everyone knows the reason for making him captain.

Parag was declared the captain of the Royals after Sanju Samson was traded to Chennai Super Kings for a huge sum of Rs 18 crore. This trade also included the arrival of Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran to the Royals before the mini-auction held last December. Srikkanth further raised the question as to why other potential captains like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel and Jadeja, who recently joined the team, were ignored.

Last year, when Samson was injured, Parag captained the Royals in eight matches, but was able to lead the team to only two wins. Despite this, the franchise has continued to support him as their long-term captain. Last season, Parag scored 393 runs at an excellent strike rate of 166.52 and became the first player in the history of IPL to hit six consecutive sixes in the same innings. He achieved the feat against Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2025.

On RR's performance in the coming season, Srikanth said, 'The opening pair of Jaiswal and Suryavanshi is the biggest strength of the team. He has the ability to win the match single-handedly. The team is also in decent form and has the potential to defeat bigger teams, but it lacks the consistency and depth required to become a champion team, and hence their chances of reaching the playoffs are not sure. This is not a team that is going to become champion.