IPL 2026: ‘No replacement for Samson, like Rohit or Kohli’ – Riyan Parag on World Cup hero’s exit from Rajasthan Royals

Rajasthan Royals skipper Riyan Parag has admitted that the void left by Sanju Samson is irreplaceable, stating that finding a replacement for the T20 World Cup hero is as difficult as replacing stalwarts like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the Indian team. Samson, who led Rajasthan Royals from 2021 to 2025, was traded to Chennai Super Kings in a major pre-season move that saw Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran heading in the opposite direction.

Having represented RR for 11 years across two stints, Samson established himself as the franchise’s most successful captain and leading run-scorer. Under his leadership, Rajasthan Royals reached the IPL 2022 final and made it to the playoffs again in 2024. His stature further grew after a sensational campaign in the T20 World Cup, where he delivered three successive match-defining performances to help India secure a historic title defence, earning the Player of the Tournament award.

“If you talk about Sanju bhaiya, we never think about replacing the kind of player he is. We can perhaps look for someone with a similar skill-set or have someone bat in his position…It’s like there is no replacement for Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma… In the same way, there is no replacement for Sanju bhaiya because he is such a good player,” Parag said in a pre-season press conference as quoted by NDTV Sports.

Parag, who has taken over as captain of RR following Samson’s departure, admitted that the team needs to improve its strategy and planning after a disappointing previous season. He pointed out that RR lost several close matches, which ultimately cost them dearly in the standings. The 2008 champions endured a forgettable campaign, suffering 10 defeats and finishing ninth in the 10-team table.

“This year, the focus is to plan better and finish games, which we couldn’t do in the previous edition. We need to plan well. Last year, there were about 5-6 games which we lost in the last over or even on the last ball. Had we been able to convert those, or had we calculated better, this question (if RR would try anything new) would not have been asked because we would have qualified (for knockouts) by winning those matches,” said Parag.

“I think that in every T20 game, there are 3-4 decisions that you have to make which change the course of the game. If we take those small decisions with strategy and planning, this year will be different,” he added.

Parag also expressed gratitude towards RR for backing him despite a few challenging seasons in the past. He acknowledged the franchise’s faith in his abilities, which has now culminated in him being entrusted with the captaincy role. RR are set to kick off their IPL 2026 campaign against CSK on March 30 at Barsapara Cricket Stadium.

“I was here when I was just 17 and I have seen all the ups and downs, though more downs than ups till now. I want to thank Rajasthan Royals for supporting me and understanding the cricketer I am,” Parag concluded.