The stage is set for the 19th edition of the IPL (Indian Premier League). The marquee tournament will kick off on March 28, and ahead of the new season, many eyes will be set upon the inaugural champions Rajasthan Royals. The side will be under the leadership of Riyan Parag in the season.ย
It is interesting to note that Parag was named the skipper of the side after Sanju Samson was traded to five-time champions Chennai Super Kings, in exchange for Ravindra Jadeja, who returned to his former side.ย
Ahead of the new season, Parag took centre stage and talked about the absence of Sanju Samson in the squad and branded him as irreplaceable for the Rajasthan Royals franchise.ย
“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 skillset or have someone bat in his position. It’s like there is no replacement for Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma, and in the same way, there is no replacement for Sanju bhaiya because he is such a good player,” Riyan Parag was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz.ย
Kumar Sangakkara reflected on RRโs IPL 2026 squad
Furthermore, the sideโs head coach, Kumar Sangakkara, took centre stage and talked about how balanced the squad looks for the upcoming season, opining that they have all the bases covered as well.ย
“We can have all the bases covered, everything done, and now it’s real hard work where we try to get them all together, really believe in each other, and then really prepare well to start playing against the opposition. At the end of the day, the proof of the pudding and the strategy score is how they perform,โ Sangakkara said.ย
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