Team India faced a big setback on Sunday, January 11, as all-rounder Washington Sundar suffered a rib injury during the first ODI against New Zealand in Vadodara. Medical checks revealed that Sundar will not be able to play in the remaining two ODIs. Recently, it was also reported that the Tamil Nadu cricketer has been ruled out of the next five T20Is.

The injury raises doubts about his participation in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. Sundar is an important player, and finding a replacement for him in the 20-team tournament will not be easy. Some players on the sidelines are waiting for a chance to prove themselves. The BCCI has not made an official statement yet, but reports suggest that Sundar’s chances of playing the remaining matches are low. His setback comes at a time when the team is already facing fitness issues, as wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant was ruled out before the series started.

Sundar is part of India’s T20 World Cup 2026 squad, and this injury has raised concerns about his preparation for the tournament in February. If the side strain is serious, the team management may have to consider replacements. Here are three strong options to replace Washington Sundar in India’s T20 squad ahead of the World Cup:

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3. Riyan Parag

Assam cricketer Riyan Parag is a player who excites many Indian fans. He sometimes shows a laid-back approach, but his temperament and skills as an all-rounder have brought him success in domestic cricket. In the last few years, he has shown maturity and even captained Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League. The Guwahati-born player made his India debut in 2024 and has played nine T20Is so far.

There is one concern, though. Parag has often faced injuries, which kept him away from international cricket during 2025. If he gets fit in time and proves his readiness to the selectors, he could make a strong comeback ahead of the T20 World Cup.

2. Sai Kishore

Sai Kishore has quietly built a reputation as a reliable left-arm orthodox spinner in Indian domestic cricket. Playing for Tamil Nadu, he is known for his accuracy, discipline, and ability to control runs in the middle overs.

In domestic cricket, Sai Kishore picked up six wickets in seven innings at an economy rate of 4.61. He also scored 87 runs in seven innings, adding useful lower-order runs. In TNPL 2025, he took 12 wickets in nine innings at an economy rate of 5.44 and scored 129 runs at a strike rate of 138.71. In IPL 2025, playing for Gujarat Titans, he played 15 matches and took 19 wickets. His consistency makes him a strong option if India needs a spin-bowling replacement.

1. Krunal Pandya

Krunal Pandya is a spin-bowling all-rounder who can also hit big as a finisher. He has a lot of T20 experience. He played for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in their 2025 title-winning season and was Player of the Match in the final for his tight bowling under pressure. The Ahmedabad-born player also performed well for Baroda in the SMAT and Vijay Hazare Trophy, scoring runs and taking wickets.

Krunal last played for India in 2021, but his consistent performances have kept him in consideration. The 34-year-old also brings leadership experience, making him a good like-for-like replacement for Washington Sundar.

Riyan Parag’s future role at Rajasthan Royals is still not clear as the team goes through a major leadership change before IPL 2026. With long-time captain Sanju Samson moving to Chennai Super Kings before the retention deadline, talks about who will be the next captain have grown stronger. However, Parag has chosen to stay silent and not react to the rumours.

His experience with Assam, where he has led the team in domestic white-ball tournaments, gives him a good base in leadership. He also captained Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2025 when Samson was injured. Parag led the team in eight matches, managing a squad that included players like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shimron Hetmyer, and Wanindu Hasaranga. These matches gave him an early idea of the pressure that comes with the captain’s role.

“I captained in seven to eight matches in the IPL last season. In the dressing room, when we discussed decisions, I felt I made the right calls 80 to 85 per cent of the time,” Parag told Sportstar.

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Rajasthan Royals Yet to Decide Their New Captain

Team owner Manoj Badale’s view has also shaped Parag’s thinking. The Royals will choose their next captain only after the December 16 auction in Abu Dhabi, leaving all internal options on wait. Parag has taken a simple and practical approach to this.

“Manoj Badale sir has said the captaincy decision will be taken after the auction. If I think about it now, it will disturb my mind. If the team feels I am the right choice, I am ready to take the role. If they feel I should focus only as a player, I am ready for that too,” Parag said.

Parag also understands that being a captain in a big IPL team comes with many off-field responsibilities.

“People think captaincy is easy. Yes, it brings fame, but it reduces cricket to only 20 per cent. You have to attend meetings, sponsor shoots, and talk to the media. I need to improve these things as a person,” he added.

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Will Ravindra Jadeja Lead RR in IPL 2026?

Ravindra Jadeja, who recently joined the team, is also in the race for the captaincy. Yashasvi Jaiswal and Dhruv Jurel are other names being discussed. But the Royals’ auction strategy, where they avoided an expensive Indian signing, suggests their next captain may come from within the current squad.

Endless speculations and claims on Rajasthan Royals (RR) ahead of the IPL 2026 mini auction. It is now widely discussed that Sanju Samson can leave the franchise. Samson was the captain of the team in the previous season as well, and he was the face of the team. His possible departure can prove very costly for the team in the near future. If he really switches to another IPL franchise, then who will be the captain of RR?

Weeks before, there were rumors that Yashasvi Jaiswal could be the man in the leadership role. There is no secret that Jaiswal himself wants to boost up his career, and a captaincy role can work as a positive catalyst. Though, as of now, there is no official confirmation from the franchise. Now, some latest reports suggest that not Jaiswal, but Riyan Parag is poised to be the captain of Rajasthan Royals in place of Sanju Samson for IPL 2026.

There are enough valid points and possibilities behind this claim, as Parag acted as the stand-in skipper whenever Samson was out of the action due to injuries in the IPL 2025 campaign. Like Sanju, Riyan has been with the franchise for a long time and understands the mentality of the club. From the 2019 season of the Indian Premier League, the Assam-born is with the team from the 'Pink City.'

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Riyan Parag to become the captain of Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2026!

In 84 matches, the middle-order batter has scored 1566 runs at an average of 26.10. He is only 23, with a lot of room to grow in the future. Without any doubt, Parag has all the potential to be the central character of the Rajasthan Royals.

In the recent past, the batter showed some brilliant batting for the India A team as well against the Australia A team, scoring three half-centuries in three matches. Considering his recent performances and potential, Parag deserves a bigger role to show his mettle. 

A heartwarming act by Indian cricket star Riyan Parag. He donates some of his cricket jerseys to support shelter animals. Parag's great initiative is now on social media platforms, with a YouTube video gaining attention from cricket fans and animal lovers. 

Through a YouTube video, viewers can see a bunch of jerseys donated by Riyan Parag. The cricketer donates multiple team jerseys, including a shirt of the Rajasthan Royals. The video depicted the process of how, from those jerseys, workers are making comfortable beds for shelter animals. Netizens in the comment section of the video praised the act of the star cricketer. 

The caption of the video reads, "Indian Cricketer Riyan Parag teams up with Respun to turn his old cricket jerseys into comfy beds for Manavi Rai’s shelter animals. This unique initiative blends sustainability, compassion, and sports memories to give rescued animals warmth and care. Watch how cricket milestones are transformed into social impact." 

Watch the video here

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A great act by the star cricketer from Assam

Riyan Parag, at present, is probably the biggest cricket star from Assam. In the previous Indian Premier League (IPL 2025), the batter was assigned as the stand-in skipper of Rajasthan Royals, replacing injured captain Sanju Samson. In 14 IPL 2025 games for RR, the right-handed batter scored 393 runs in total, powered by a half-century. 

Parag's batting talent is undeniable, but as of now, his international career is brief. For India, the batter has played only one ODI and 9 T20 International matches. In both formats his batting average is below 20. In the 2023-24 Indian domestic season, he hit 510 runs at a strike rate of 182.79 in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20s for Assam. In this season he smashed seven back-to-back half-centuries. 

The recent news of legendary Bollywood and Tollywood singer, Zubeen Garg, has shocked the musical industry in all aspects. After the incident, the Indian player, Riyan Parag, who was deeply and emotionally impacted by the incident, took to social media to share his emotional post on mourning the death of the cultural icon. 

Zubeen Garg is a superstar in the musical industry, especially for the 90s listeners. After several years of struggle in the industry, he finally got his first breakthrough through the song called ‘Yaa Ali’, since which he hasn’t needed to look back at his career at all.

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The 52-year-old tragically passed away on September 19 in Singapore due to a scuba diving accident. Garg had traveled to the island nation to perform at the Northeast Festival, as the reports claimed that although he initially wore a life jacket, he later removed it even after their warning and was later found floating in he sea. They rushed him to the General Hospital where the doctors put their hands up,

Know Zubeen Garg, after whose sudden demise Riyan Parag shared special heartfelt message

In Assam, Zubeen’s death has brought the state to a sorrow position as thousands of people gathered at Guwahati’s Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport to receive the singer’s remains as the crowd was immense around the ambulance. Due to the situation, their chief minister, Himata Biswas Sarma, revealed that the remains would be kept at the sports complex throughout the night and on Monday.

“Had Zubeen been alive today, he would have been overwhelmed by this show of love. He cannot express himself in words anymore, and on his behalf, I thank each of you. It was because of this love and blessings that he had received during his lifetime that he could achieve so much within his short span of life.” Zubeen’s wife, Garima, thanked the singer’s fans for showing her love and affection.

There was a minute’s silence at Assam’s schools and colleges, besides many musical industries do the same. The BCCI secretary, Devajit Saikia, also spoke about honoring the singer during the game in Guwahati during the Women’s ODI World Cup 2025.

The news of legendary Assamese and Bollywood singer Zubeen Garg’s abrupt demise has shocked the nation as tributes are coming in from all aspects. Outstanding Indian cricketer Riyan Parag was also impacted and took to social media to share an emotional post mourning the death of the cultural icon.

The 52-year-old singer tragically passed away on September 19 in Singapore following a scuba diving accident. Garg had traveled to the island nation to perform at the NortheastFestival. Reports suggest that although he initially wore a life jacket, he later removed it due to discomfort. Soon after, he was found floating in the sea. Despite being rushed to Singapore General Hospital, doctors could not revive him.

His untimely demise has created an irreplaceable void in the Indian music industry, especially in Assam, where Garg was considered a beacon of cultural pride. Thousands of fans thronged Guwahati to pay their respects when his mortal remains arrived. Condolences also poured in from Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who hailed his immense contribution to music.

Riyan Parag’s Heartfelt Tribute

For Assam-born cricketer Riyan Parag, Garg’s death was deeply personal. The youngster fondly remembered him as “Dabangg Mama” and described him as a warrior who transformed Assamese music and gave it nationwide recognition with timeless hits like Ya Ali from the 2006 film Gangster. “Aap agar nahi talai to main Jubin Garg ki baat kar raha hoon, I used to call him Dabang Mama because he was such a warrior,” Parag said in an emotional video message.

Watch the video here

 

 

 

 

 

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In Assam, Garg's death nearly brought the state to a halt. Thousands of people congregated at Guwahati’s Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport to receive Garg's remains, and the police were unable to control the developing crowd. The number of people who showed up was indicative of the unmatched love and respect people held for Zubeen Garg, though he did not fully realize it. His music would be the hallmark of his legacy.

The middle and lower-middle order seems to be one of the major concerns for the BCCI selectors ahead of the Asia Cup. Less than a month to go before the tournament starts, and there are still plenty of speculations and claims about India’s possible squad for the competition, where the Men in Blue will start their campaign as the defending champions. In T20 matches, middle-order batters often take vital roles to decide the result of the match.

After the Anderson-Tendulkar trophy, India’s tendency to increase batting depth is no more a secret. To increase depth in the batting range, the management showed their trust in all-rounders like Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Shardul Thakur. When the discussion is about the T20 format, India has a wide range of talents for each department. Riyan Parag, who is mostly known for his batting skills, made a significant impact during his bowling duties too. Fresh claims suggest that Riyan Parag is in contention for the Asia Cup 2025, which will be played in Dubai. Also, the venue can be a crucial factor behind squad selection. In Dubai, the tracks can be batting friendly or can be helpful for slower deliveries. If the management considers Parag for the tournament, then there can be high expectations around his all-round abilities.

His T20I stats are too low to justify his actual potential, but the Assam-born improved his numbers during the last couple of IPL seasons. Riyan Parag’s overall IPL career: 84 matches, 1,566 runs, and a 26.10 batting average. In IPL 2024 and IPL 2025, his batting average jumped to over 30, which showed how the all-rounder has developed himself over the years.

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Riyan Parag’s last couple of IPL campaigns:

Parag, so far, has batted in 6 T20Is for India, where he mostly operated as a lower middle-order batsman. In those matches, he batted in 4 different positions. Parag’s versatility perhaps makes the selectors’ choice more tough, as they have to maintain a balance in the squad. Riyan can be used as a batter or as an all-rounder too. The requirements as per the team combination can be decisive for his future in Team India.

Riyan Parag’s batting performance according to positions for India:

The star cricketer of Rajasthan Royals is famous for his hard-hitting batting style. But his bowling stats for India are too good for a cricketer, who widely gains reputations as a batter. In 9 T20Is and 5 innings, the right-hander claimed 4 wickets, including a figure of 3/5.How the management wants to utilize the talented cricketer is now a crucial question—as a pure batsman or as an all-rounder, a puzzle yet to be solved. 

Riyan Parag’s bowling stats for India and Rajasthan Royals:

Riyan Parag is all set to don the captain's armband in a 5-match One Day International series. After captaining Rajasthan Royals in multiple IPL 2025 matches, the batter will now lead his state in an ODI series against Namibia. 

The series will be marked as an important assignment for both sides, as each team will get the opportunity to get experience in international standards. As a state team in India, Assam's squad is powered by multiple match winners and upcoming talents. Along with the captain, Parag, players like Denish Das, Akash Sengupta, and Parvej Musaraf can do wonders in the series. 

Namibia will be the host nation. The five-match ODI series will start on June 21 and conclude on June 29. Assam and Namibia will play five one-day matches on June 21, 23, 25, 27, and 29. All-time five matches will be held in Windhoek at the FNB Cricket Ground. The series against Assam follows the recent Namibian series against other Indian domestic teams—Punjab and Karnataka. Gerhard Erasmus will be the captain of the Namibia cricket team. JJ Smit and Nicol Loftie-Eaton are marked as their star players. 

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Squads for the upcoming series:

Assam’s squad:

Riyan Parag (C), Denish Das, Pradyun Saikia, Rahul Hazarika, Rishav Das, Sibsankar Roy, Subham Mandal, Akash Sengupta, Amlanjyoti Das, Kunal Sarma, Mrinmoy Dutta, Parvej Musaraf, Swarupam Purkayastha, Abhishek Thakuri (WK), Anurag Talukdar (WK), Ruhinandan Pegu (WK), Sumit Ghadigaonkar (WK), Avinov Choudhury, Bhargav Dutta, Darshan Rajbongshi, Dipjyoti Saikia, Mukhtar Hussain, Rahul Singh, and Sidharth Sarmah.

Namibia's Squad:

Gerhard Erasmus (C), Jan Frylinck, Malan Kruger, Nikolaas Davin, Dylan Leicher, Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton, JJ Smit, JP Kotze (WK), Lohan Louwrens (WK), Zane Green (WK), Ben Shikongo, Bernard Scholtz, Handre Klazinge, Jack Brassell, Jan-Izak de Villiers, Ruben Trumpelmann, and Tangeni Lungameni. 

Arun Jaitley Stadium (Delhi) will host the 62nd match of the IPL 2025, Chennai Super Kings vs Rajasthan Royals (CSK vs RR), which has been scheduled for Tuesday evening (May 20). It will be their second meeting this season, while Royals won by six runs in their previous IPL 2025 clash. Let's check the Dream11 top captains and vice-captains choices for the CSK vs RR IPL 2025 match. 

IPL 2025, Match 62: CSK vs RR Probable XIs

Chennai Super Kings Predicted Playing XI: Ayush Mhatre, Urvil Patel/Khaleel Ahmed (Impact Player Sub), Devon Conway, Dewald Brevis, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, MS Dhoni (Captain and wk), Matheesha Pathirana, Noor Ahmad, Anshul Kamboj

Rajasthan Royals Predicted Playing XI: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Sanju Samson (Captain), Riyan Parag, Shubham Dubey, Shimron Hetmyer, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana/Fazalhaq Farooqi, Akash Madhwal, Tushar Deshpande

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IPL 2025, Match 62: CSK vs RR Dream11 Top Captains And Vice-captains

Top 3 Dream11 Captain choices

Noor Ahmad: Afghan left-arm wrist spinner Noor Ahmad is the second leading wicket-taker in the ongoing IPL season with 20 wickets in 12 matches, including two four-fer. 

Yashasvi Jaiswal: Rajasthan Royals' left-handed opening batter Yashasvi Jaiswal is the third leading run-scorer in the IPL 2025 with 523 runs in 13 games, with six half-centuries. In the last game, he scored 50 off 25 balls (nine fours and one six), including smashing 22 runs to Arshdeep Singh in the first over of the innings while chasing 220 runs. 

Ravindra Jadeja: In the IPL 2025, CSK all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja has scored 279 runs in 12 innings, including two half-centuries, and has also picked up eight wickets. 

Top 3 Dream11 Vice-captain choices

Riyan Parag: Riyan Parag is the second most run-scorer for Rajasthan Royals in the IPL 2025 by recording 390 runs in 13 innings, including one half-century (95 vs Kolkata Knight Riders). In this season, his batting average is 35.45 and his batting strike rate is 168.10. 

Vaibhav Suryavanshi: The youngest IPL cricketer, the 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi, has impressed with his fiery batting performances. He has scored 195 runs in six innings with an average of 32.50 and a strike rate of 219.10, including the second-fastest IPL century. 

Matheesha Pathirana: Sri Lankan right-arm fast bowler Matheesha Pathirana has taken 12 wickets in 10 games this season. He can be a better fast bowler with more experience.