'Under Sanju bhaiya ... ': Riyan Parag's special mention for Sanju Samson at toss vs SRH
Rajasthan Royals captain Riyan Parag, reflecting on his journey to leadership, acknowledged the guidance of former captain Sanju Samson. Parag, who took over captaincy ahead of IPL 2026, expressed gratitude for the support received. Sunrisers Hyderabad skipper Ishan Kishan also discussed the impact of leadership on his game and team performance.
NEW DELHI: Rajasthan Royals captain Riyan Parag and Sanju Samson share a strong bond from their time together at the franchise. Parag has often spoken about how much he learned from Samson during his stint with the Royals before the latter’s move to Chennai Super Kings last year. During the toss for the IPL 2026 clash between Rajasthan Royals and Sunrisers Hyderabad, Parag made a special mention of his former captain.
After winning the toss and opting to bowl, Parag said: "We will be bowling first. A new wicket for us, first time it has been used this season as well. So hopefully there is a little bit of stickiness at the start.
We have chased down a lot of totals here. We fell short in 2024, so hopefully not the case this time. We have got two changes.
Brijesh steps out, and Tushar Deshpande comes in. Hetty gets a rest, and Pretorius makes his debut. " Reflecting on his journey to captaincy, he added: "It has been a journey.