Riyan Parag Says No One Can Replace Sanju Samson Ahead Of IPL 2026

Riyan Parag said Sanju Samson has no replacement at Rajasthan Royals, comparing his impact to Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma ahead of IPL 2026.

Rajasthan Royals captain Riyan Parag has said the team cannot truly replace Sanju Samson ahead of IPL 2026. He compared Samson’s impact to players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Samson led the Rajasthan Royals from 2021 to 2025 before moving to the Chennai Super Kings. The trade involved Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran heading to Rajasthan.

He spent 11 years with the franchise across two phases. He became their top run-scorer and most successful captain. Under him, the team reached the IPL 2022 final and qualified for the playoffs again in 2024. Parag said the team will look for balance instead of a direct replacement.

“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.

Riyan Parag has stressed the need for better planning as he begins his tenure as Rajasthan Royals captain in IPL 2026. The team struggled last season and finished ninth in the 10-team table with 10 defeats.

Parag also highlighted that several close games hurt their campaign. He noted that 5-6 matches slipped away in the final over or last ball. Better decisions in key moments could have changed their position. The 2008 champions now aim to improve match awareness and execution. Parag believes small decisions in T20 games often decide outcomes.

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“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 continued.

“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.

Rajasthan Royals will begin their IPL 2026 campaign against Chennai Super Kings on March 30 at Barsapara Cricket Stadium.