'No replacement for Sanju Bhaiya': Riyan Parag and Sangakkara address post-Samson era at Rajasthan Royals
At a press conference, Parag acknowledged the challenge of replacing Samson, likening it to filling the shoes of legends like Virat Kohli. RR are gearing up for IPL 2026 under new captain Riyan Parag.
Last Updated: 09.07 PM, Mar 19, 2026
The Rajasthan Royals entered the IPL 2026 pre-season with a new captain and a tremendous gap to fill. Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, the franchise's newly designated captain, Riyan Parag and Director of Cricket Kumar Sangakkara spoke up about the exit of Sanju Samson and the team’s roadmap for the forthcoming season. The trade that sent Samson, the reigning T20 World Cup Player of the Tournament, to the Chennai Super Kings has been the talk of the cricketing world. Parag, who now steps into the captaincy role, was honest about the impossibility of refilling the former captain's shoes.
Reason behind the crisis
"If you talk about Sanju bhaiya, we never think about replacing the kind of player he is," Parag told the media.
"It's like there is no replacement for Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma. We can look for someone with a similar skillset, but there is no direct replacement for him because he is such a good player."
Depth over "World Cup stars"
Interestingly, Rajasthan Royals (along with RCB and LSG) are among the few franchises without a single member of Suryakumar Yadav’s recent World Cup-winning squad.
However, Kumar Sangakkara ignored problems concerning a lack of "star power," emphasising the depth within the current roster.
Sangakkara stressed that many Rajasthan Royals players are on the edges of the national side and maintain world-class skills.
The return of a fit Jofra Archer, fresh from his own World Cup exploits, is seen as a major boost to the bowling arsenal. The coach stressed that the squad is well-balanced to compete in any conditions, noting that "the proof of the pudding is in the performance."