Sanju Samson to CSK? RR Shortlist Dhruv Jurel and Yashasvi Jaiswal for New Captain

With only a few days left before the 2026 IPL retention deadline, a lot is happening inside the Rajasthan Royals (RR) camp as they prepare for a major rebuild.
RR has been one of the busiest teams recently. The coaching staff has seen big changes, with former Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara returning as the head coach after Rahul Dravid’s exit. Sangakkara has already been serving as RR’s Director of Cricket since 2021. The franchise has also moved on from its CEO, Jake Lush McCrum.

As TimesofIndia.com reported on Sunday, the Royals' current captain Sanju Samson is highly likely to be traded to the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in exchange for Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran or Matheesha Pathirana. With Samson on the move, the question of captaincy has also heated up in the RR camp.

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Dhruv Jurel Wicketkeeper-Batter

Dhruv Jurel, a right-handed batsman and wicketkeeper, was born in Agra, Uttar Pradesh on January 21, 2001.

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Yashasvi Jaiswal Batter

Yashasvi Jaiswal, a left-handed batsman, made his international debut in 2023 against the West Indies.

Jurel vs Jaiswal: RR Close to Naming New Captain

Sanju Samson has led Rajasthan Royals in 67 matches. The team has won 33 games and lost 33 under him. With Samson as captain, RR reached the IPL 2022 final and made the playoffs in 2024. Now, Sangakkara and his team have a big problem to solve, choosing a new captain. The big headache for Sangakkara and Co. right now will be to find a new captain.

Those tracking the developments have told TimesofIndia.com that wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel, a homegrown talent of the Royals, is the pick of many who matter in the franchise set-up. Team India opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, who also made his IPL debut for the Royals, is another name the franchise is considering. In the 2025 edition of IPL, when Sanju missed a few matches due to injury, Riyan Parag led RR. Parag, another homegrown talent in whom the Royals have invested heavily, doesn't look to be in the race for now as Jurel's stocks are on a bull run.

It is also learnt that both Jaiswal and Jurel, who are very close to Sangakkara, were told to be ready for the captaincy when the duo were in England for the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.

People close to the team think Jurel might be chosen over Jaiswal as the new captain because he brings more to the table. Jurel can keep wickets, he has proved himself as a reliable finisher in recent seasons, and as a wicketkeeper, he stays involved in every part of the game. Because of the Impact Player rule, Jaiswal, who is an opener, can be swapped out for a bowler and vice versa. If Jurel becomes captain, it gives the team more flexibility with their choices.

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