“Jadeja Won’t Be Captain” — Ex-RCB Batter After RR Trade Ahead Of IPL 2026

Former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif feels Ravindra Jadeja is unlikely to captain Rajasthan Royals (RR) in IPL 2026. Instead, he backed Riyan Parag to take over from Sanju Samson. Jadeja and Sam Curran’s blockbuster move to RR in exchange for Samson has been one of the most discussed trades in IPL history.

Jadeja will represent RR for ₹14 crore, returning to the team with which he began his IPL career in 2008. When asked about RR’s next captain, Kaif said the franchise has been preparing Parag for the role for a long time. He added that coach Kumar Sangakkara shares a strong rapport with Parag, making him the preferred choice for leadership.

Speaking on his YouTube channel ‘Mohammad Kaif’, he said:

“Ravindra Jadeja will not become captain. The reason is they have been grooming Riyan Parag and invested a lot on him. Parag had replaced Samson as captain for a few matches due to the former’s injury. He is still learning the trade but Kumar Sangakkara is there and knows Parag for a lot of time now. When Jadeja was in Royals at the very start, Sangakkara was not there.”

“So, it takes time to build that rapport. But he has been working with Parag for 4-5 years now. Due to that bonding, Manoj Badale might have said even if Dravid is leaving, Sangakkara and Parag have a good tuning. Badale knows the team can’t progress if they don’t have a good relationship. He has been with the team since 2008,” he added.

“RR To Prefer Riyan Parag Over Jadeja For Captaincy”- Kaif

Mohammad Kaif further suggested that RR would not hand Ravindra Jadeja the captaincy immediately. Instead, they would want the left-hander to settle in, understand the team setup, and spend time within the franchise before considering him for the leadership role. He added:

“Rajasthan Royals are known to not spend a lot of money, that’s how their planning was in the auction. But they spent all their money in the last two auctions. The Royals now have a mindset of spending money to make the team stronger. I feel Riyan Parag is higher than Jadeja in the pecking order. It would be the right call too because Jadeja hasn’t been part of the side for a long time now.”

“So, he wouldn’t be aware of their strategies. Whatever Samson will have to go through in CSK, Jadeja will be experiencing it too. He will have to spend two months with the team, work with Parag, Sangakkara and the management. I don’t think they will make Jadeja captain over Parag,” Kaif added.