Rajasthan Royals will usher in a new era in TATA IPL 2026 with the homecoming of Ravindra Jadeja, along with Riyan Parag taking over as Captain. Speaking on JioHotstar’s ‘Game Plan – Know Your Team’, JioStar experts Faf du Plessis and Laxmipathy Balaji discussed the challenges facing Vaibhav Suryavanshi in the new season, what Sam Curran brings to the side, and how Yashasvi Jaiswal’s role could evolve in Sanju Samson’s absence.
Speaking on JioHotstar’s ‘Game Plan – Know Your Team’, JioStar expert Faf du Plessis shared his thoughts on Rajasthan Royals losing Sanju Samson who was the face of the franchise for the last decade:
“If I look at the IPL and the teams, the iconic teams we see around the league, all of them have one marquee Indian player in common, someone who has been the face of the franchise for a period of time, Rohit Sharma, MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli. And Sanju Samson, for me, was that guy at Rajasthan Royals. Yes, he’s of a newer generation, but he had become the face of that franchise. If I think of Rajasthan Royals, I think Sanju Samson. So, the fact that they’ve lost that face, I think, is a massive thing for the fans, for the IPL, and for the tournament, because he’s played such a big role there.”
On change in roles for Yashasvi Jaiswal after Sanju Samson’s departure:
“The thing with Yashasvi Jaiswal is that he’s had Sanju Samson, who has been such a huge, consistent performer within that batting line-up. So, when you have that consistency of runs from Sanju, it allows you to play your game. Now, you take that away, all of a sudden, people will look at him with more responsibility. And for a player like him, you don’t want him thinking about responsibility, you want him thinking, ‘I want to take the game on. I want to hit as many sixes as possible.’ So there’s a learning curve that’s going to come into his career this season, ‘Am I true to the game that I’ve always played, or do I take up the senior player role to score the bulk of the runs?’ So it’ll be interesting to see how that goes. I think he’ll still play in the way that he does. It would be silly not to, because he’s such an attacking player.”
On what Sam Curran brings to the table:
“Sam Curran, last year, had a really good season in T20 cricket. With The Hundred, he did really well, winning another trophy. Around the world, he’s performed really well in T20 cricket. So I think they will see him as someone who is really in form at the moment. He’s doing well for England and is playing a difficult role, often coming in when the team is in trouble. So, the versatility that you get from Sam Curran is very crucial for the team because he gives you an over in the powerplay, bowls his cutters in the middle, and is really good at death bowling, whether with yorkers or slower balls. So you’re getting a lot of skill sets there. Also, he’s bringing experience and captaincy support to a young captain in that dressing room. The more leaders you have around you, the better the support will be for Riyan.”
Speaking on JioHotstar’s ‘Game Plan – Know Your Team’, JioStar expert Laxmipathy Balaji touched upon Riyan Parag being named the new Captain for Rajasthan Royals:
“I’m a little bit surprised with the call, especially when you have players like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ravindra Jadeja, and, of course, overseas captaincy material like Sam Curran. So, it is kind of a gamble. Captaining in IPL is not only about on-field ability to take decisions, it’s also about how you manage the dressing room. Your voice needs to be earned, and the trust needs to be earned. In that perspective, I feel like it is a double-edged sword. There will be a lot of help from Kumar Sangakkara, definitely, and you need that guidance. We have seen Rohit Sharma doing it as a young captain with Mumbai Indians, players getting used to leadership early. I’m sure it is an opportunity for Riyan Parag. If he can manage his performance and translate it on the ground with his leadership, then it is going to help him.”
On Vaibhav Suryavanshi and the challenges ahead:
“We have seen the kind of talent Vaibhav Suryavanshi has, last season. He scored that hundred against GT, against a very good bowling attack. Of course, the second year is always going to be a kind of challenge for any player. That is where the mentorship of Kumar Sangakkara will come into play. The opposition would definitely have worked on some of his shortcomings. This season will be a huge opportunity and challenge for Vaibhav Suryavanshi as a youngster to get that kind of consistency. We saw that with the 175 he scored in the Under-19 final. So, of course, there is a lot of potential on the field. How he translates it in the second season is going to be crucial.”
Catch all the action from TATA IPL 2026 March 28 onwards, LIVE on JioHotstar and Star Sports Network
