Aakash Chopra believes Rajasthan Royals should appoint Yashasvi Jaiswal as captain for IPL 2026. He argued leadership could boost Jaiswal’s standing in Indian cricket, while noting Riyan Parag remains a strong contender for the role.
Former India opener Aakash Chopra has suggested that Rajasthan Royals should appoint Yashasvi Jaiswal as their captain for the upcoming IPL 2026 season. With the franchise set to announce its new skipper on February 13, Chopra argued that Jaiswal deserves the leadership role and should actively seek it.
Sanju Samson, who led the Royals in recent seasons, was traded to Chennai Super Kings ahead of the IPL 2026 auction. Chopra, speaking on his YouTube channel, said Jaiswal is the most important player in the squad and should be entrusted with captaincy. “My vote is for Yashasvi Jaiswal. I was thinking, why not Yashasvi Jaiswal? He is one of the most important players in that team. I think people around him should tell him to ask for captaincy, and that he should get captaincy,” Chopra remarked.
He highlighted that Jaiswal risks falling behind Shubman Gill in terms of leadership opportunities. Gill has already been named vice‑captain for India, while Jaiswal has yet to take on such responsibilities. Aakash Chopra noted that Jaiswal has performed consistently across formats, including a century in T20s and strong Test runs, but his name has not been considered for captaincy roles.
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According to Aakash Chopra, leading Rajasthan Royals could enhance Jaiswal’s chances of securing more opportunities in India’s white‑ball cricket setup. “Yashasvi might think that if he gets captaincy or he takes it, captains well for a year, and makes the team win, will they start taking him seriously, and whether he will get more chances,” Chopra explained.
Jaiswal’s record in Tests stands at 2,511 runs at an average of 49.23 from 28 matches. He has also represented India in four ODIs and 23 T20Is but was not part of the Men in Blue’s T20 World Cup 2026 squad. Chopra dismissed concerns that captaincy might affect Jaiswal’s batting output, insisting that the left‑hander is ready to handle the responsibility.
However, Aakash Chopra acknowledged that Riyan Parag could be the frontrunner for the role. The Assam all‑rounder has scored 1,566 runs at a strike rate of 141.85 in 84 IPL games and has previously captained Rajasthan Royals when Samson was unavailable in IPL 2025. Chopra pointed out that the franchise has shown faith in Parag, even hosting matches in Guwahati to strengthen the connection with the region. Dhruv Jurel was also mentioned as another option.
Aakash Chopra concluded by reiterating his preference for Jaiswal, but admitted the Royals may lean towards Parag given their history with him.
