Jaipur, March 19 Rajasthan Royals captain Riyan Parag said on Thursday that the void left by Sanju Samson's departure to Chennai Super Kings cannot be filled, as finding a replacement for the T20 World Cup hero is as impossible as replacing stalwarts like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the Indian team.
Sanju, who led the Royals from 2021 to 2025, was traded to Chennai Super Kings in a pre-season move, with Ravindra Jadeja coming in as part of the deal.
"When we talk about Sanju, we never think about replacing someone like him," Parag told reporters at a pre-season press conference here.
"We might look for someone with a similar skill set or have someone bat in his position... It's like there is no replacement for Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma... In the same way, there is no replacement for Sanju because he is such a good player," Parag said, referring to the two superstars who now only play in the ODI format.
Having represented the franchise for 11 years across two stints, Sanju was RR's most successful captain and leading run-scorer, having guided them to the IPL 2022 final and the playoffs in 2024.
His stature has grown significantly following a stellar T20 World Cup campaign, where he struck three successive match-defining knocks to power India to a historic title defense. He was adjudged player of the tournament for the phenomenal performance.
Rajasthan Royals had a forgettable last season, enduring 10 defeats to finish ninth in the 10-team standings.
Parag, who has been picked as the captain following Sanju's exit, said RR lost too many close matches last year, and the 2008 winners need better strategy and planning.
"This year, the focus is to plan better and finish games, which we couldn't do in the previous edition," he said.
"We need to plan well. Last year, there were about 5-6 games which we lost in the last over or even on the last ball. Had we been able to convert those, or had we calculated better, this question (if RR would try anything new) would not have been asked because we would have qualified (for knockouts) by winning those matches," he explained.
"I think that in every T20 game, there are 3-4 decisions that you have to make which change the course of the game. If we take those small decisions with strategy and planning, this year will be different," Parag added.
He further expressed gratitude towards the franchise for keeping faith in him despite several seasons of struggle.
"I was here when I was just 17 and I have seen all the ups and downs, though more downs than ups till now. I want to thank Rajasthan Royals for supporting me and understanding the cricketer I am," Parag said.
Sangakkara backs skipper Parag
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The Royals' director of cricket and head coach Kumar Sangakkara said he has always "admired" Parag as a cricketer and he was picked as a skipper after a robust round of interviews with other candidates.
"It was about trying to find the best person who can lead the Rajasthan Royals. I (first) met Riyan when he was a teenager and have admired him as a cricketer. He''s right (when he says) he has gone through a lot and seen a lot," Sangakkara said.
"The most striking thing for me was (to see) how reflective and mature he has become.
"We had shortlisted some candidates that we had a very strict interview process for. Riyan knows the questions were hard. At the end of the day Manoj (Badale) and I sat down and it was evident that the right choice to lead Rajasthan was Riyan," Sangakkara added.
