Riyan Parag's elevation as Rajasthan Royals captain 'makes no sense': Sanjay Manjrekar

Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar has questioned Rajasthan Royals’ decision to appoint Riyan Parag as captain for IPL 2026, saying the move “makes no sense” given the batter’s inconsistent performances over the years.

While Rajasthan have managed a decent campaign so far this season, Manjrekar questioned the franchise’s continued backing of the 24-year-old, whose performances with the bat have remained inconsistent despite being with the side since 2019.

Parag also found himself embroiled in controversy last week after he was caught vaping in the dressing room during Rajasthan’s match against Punjab Kings. The incident led to the youngster being fined 25 per cent of his match fees.

Speaking on Sportstar’s Insight Edge podcast, Manjrekar said Parag’s personality and self-belief have always stood out, but admitted he has struggled to understand the level of trust Rajasthan have placed in him over the years.

“He is not one of your typical Indian players. He's fit and just the way he walks around and everything struts around. But I would say, after the kind of performances I've seen over the years. It is something that I find a little strange that the Rajasthan Royals have backed him so much,” Manjrekar said.

The former India batter went a step further by questioning Rajasthan’s leadership transition from Sanju Samson to Parag.

“I mean, Sanju Samson captained them for a few years, and then he was removed, and Riyan Parag took over. I don't know what happened there. But I don't think from a cricketing point of view, it makes any sense at all,” he said.

“It’s a bit harsh to say this, but he's just got too much as a reward. Having not really worked hard for those rewards. So it's a very interesting case pertaining to the Rajasthan Royals,” he added.

Manjrekar, however, acknowledged that Parag’s supreme confidence is what separates him from many young cricketers, even though he believes it can sometimes work against the batter.

“What catches the eye about Riyan Parag is his unbelievable self-confidence. Even when he was not delivering, if you saw him in the field, the kind of stuff that he did. It was just almost arrogance for somebody who was struggling to fit in or deliver,” Manjrekar said.

“So when I see his overall career as well, you would seem he would have played numerous innings of 14 or 15 runs, where he would come in and hit a couple of cracking shots, and you would be blown away. And then the next body's playing the same shot and getting out. That is his MO,” he added.

According to Manjrekar, Parag’s tendency to continue playing high-risk strokes despite repeated dismissals reflects the overconfidence that has defined much of his IPL career so far.

“That is how Riyan Parag generally plays: sensational shots, but I think somewhere the overconfidence, or whatever, just gets him to keep trying to play those shots. And because he mishits so many and gets out, he's obviously not focusing on every attacking shot he plays,” Manjrekar said.

“So he's an interesting character. That is the captain, after all; that is something that I've never understood with the Rajasthan Royals,” he added.

IPL 2026 | IPL Schedule | IPL Points Table | IPL Player Stats | Purple Cap | Orange Cap | IPL Videos | Cricket News | Live Score