Riyan Parag was already making waves in Indian cricket even before he turned 18. He was a part of the U19 World Cup winning team in 2018 and was then signed by Rajasthan Royals for the 2019 season, during which a 17-year-old Parag became the youngest half-centurion in the TATA IPL. After a few lean seasons, Parag shone bright in IPL 2024, scoring 573 runs including four half-centuries and he was constantly in the Orange Cap contenders discussion. Those performances led to the youngster’s imternational debut and he represented India in both T20Is and ODIs within the space of a month. The stylish right-handed batter and part-time spinner, who also possesses the ability to pick wickets in the middle overs, has now been handed the captaincy reins at RR with former captain Sanju Samson moving on. The 24-year-old started as a promising teenager with RR and now has the opportunity to lead them to a much-awaited second IPL title.