Stats: Riyan Parag becomes fourth-youngest IPL captain

Riyan Parag is set to lead the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the first three games of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, as regular captain Sanju Samson will be playing as a specialist batter. The Assam batter started his reign on Sunday, March 23, during Rajasthan's clash against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad.

Parag, who started his IPL journey at Rajasthan Royals, will be leading the franchise for the first time. He became the youngest captain to lead the Royals. In the overall scheme of things, Parag is the fourth-youngest captain in IPL history.

Youngest captain in IPL history (youngest appearance for each player)

1. 22y 187d - Virat Kohli
2. 22y 344d - Steve Smith
3. 23y 112d - Suresh Raina
4. 23y 133d - Riyan Parag
5. 23y 142d - Shreyas Iyer
6. 23y 188d - Rishabh Pant

Parag had a good start to his captaincy career as he won an important toss on Sunday. He invited the hosts to bat first. The right-handed batter also seemed to get a little bit emotional as he spoke about what it means for him to lead the side from where he began his IPL journey.

"(On captaincy) Means a lot, started here as a 17-year-old. Getting to fill in big shoes, very excited," the talented youngster said.

Parag has the experience of leading Assam in domestic cricket. He has captained the team in 23 matches across formats. He will be looking to start his tenure with a win against a strong Sunrisers outfit.

Meanwhile, Parag confirmed at the toss that Samson will be coming in as an Impact Player in the second innings. The Kerala wicketkeeper-batter underwent surgery last month and, while he has rejoined the Royals, he has not been cleared as yet for wicketkeeping or fielding duties. This is why the Impact Player rule is coming in handy for the inaugural champions.

Samson is likely to open the batting with Yashasvi Jaiswal. The duo has opened for India in the shortest format and made a considerable impact with their aggressive batting. They will look to take the Hyderabad bowlers to the cleaners and set the tone for the rest of the tournament.