7 captains to lead Rajasthan Royals in IPL history: Shane Warne, Sanju Samson, Riyan Parag and…; check full list – Zee News

Rajasthan Royals (RR) have officially entered a new era. On Friday, February 13, the Rajasthan-based franchise announced Riyan Parag as their full-time captain for the 2026 IPL season, following a blockbuster trade that sent long-time leader Sanju Samson to Chennai Super Kings.
From the legendary leadership of Shane Warne in the inaugural 2008 season to the rise of homegrown talent Riyan, a total of seven captains have led the team till now, helping Rajasthan Royals win a title and qualify for the knock-outs six times.
Here’s the full list of captains who have led the Rajasthan Royals in IPL:
Shane Warne, Rajasthan Royals’ first captain, laid the blueprint for what would turn out to be the team’s vision when he led a bunch of young, promising and inexperienced domestic players to capture ultimate glory by winning the IPL title in the inaugural season in 2008. Warne remained captain of the Royals from 2009 to 2011 and left his legacy with the team. In four seasons, Warne captained the side for 56 games, winning 31 of them. (Pic credit: BCCI/IPL)  
Taking over the reins from Shane Warne and carrying forward Rajasthan Royals’ culture was a challenge in itself. But Rahul Dravid, with his experience and leadership tenure with the Indian cricket team was the best fit. Rahul Dravid was Rajasthan Royals’ oldest captain when he took over the reins at the age of 39 in IPL 2012. Dravid has the best record among Rajasthan Royals’ captains when it comes to win percentage. He has won 23 out of his 40 matches as skipper with a win percentage of 57.50. He successfully bridged the gap between the Warne era and the modern era before moving into a mentorship role. Dravid returned to the Royals fold ahead of IPL 2025 as the team’s head coach. (Pic credit: Rajasthan Royals)  
Shane Watson led Rajasthan Royals from IPL 2014 once Rahul Dravid retired as a player. Watson, the former Australia all-rounder, captained the Royals for two seasons, covering 21 matches and made the play-offs in IPL 2015. (Pic credit: BCCI/IPL)  
Ajinkya Rahane was announced as Rajasthan Royals captain for IPL 2018. The Mumbaikar did well in his first season as skipper to help Rajasthan Royals finish fourth, but lost in the play-offs to Kolkata Knight Riders. While his stint at the helm had its challenges, the team continued to recognise his efforts. In IPL 2018, the Royals won four of their last five matches to make the playoffs. (Pic credit: BCCI/IPL)
 
Steve Smith filled in as captain of Rajasthan, first for Shane Watson in seasons 2014 and 2015 before replacing Rahane midway through IPL 2019. His first full season as captain for the Royals was in 2020. He could captain Rajasthan only for 27 games and won 15 of them and is second only to Rahul Dravid in terms of win percentage. (Pic credit: BCCI/IPL/Rajasthan Royals)  
Sanju Samson joined the list of illustrious names to lead Rajasthan Royals in the IPL, at 26. He took over the mantle from Steve Smith in 2021. In IPL 2022, Sanju was able to steer Rajasthan Royals to their first final since 2008. The team finished second in the table with nine wins out of 14, but fell short in the final against Gujarat Titans.
The Royals reached their second playoffs under Samson in IPL 2024, finishing third in the points table with 17 points. Though they beat Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Eliminator, they fell short to Sunrisers Hyderabad in Qualifier 2 of IPL 2024.
Sanju led the Royals in 67 matches, winning 33 and losing 32. He is Rajasthan Royals’ most successful captain in the IPL. Samson was also the only Royals captain to have led the team into two playoffs in IPL.  (Pic credit: BCCI/IPL)
Riyan Parag was appointed captain for the Rajasthan Royals for their opening three IPL 2025 matches against Sunrisers Hyderabad, Kolkata Knight Riders and Chennai Super Kings. The decision was made as Sanju Samson was still recovering from an injury and despite being deemed fit enough to bat, the Royals’ full-time captain was not cleared to perform his usual wicket-keeping or fielding duties. When Parag, 23, led out the Royals against SRH for their season opener in Hyderabad on March 23, he became the youngest Rajasthan Royals captain and the fifth-youngest in IPL history. Parag won two and lost six matches as Rajasthan Royals’ skipper in IPL 2025. Parag has been named as the full-time captain of the Rajasthan Royals ahead of the IPL 2026 season.(Pic credit: Rajasthan Royals)  
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