Riyan Parag admitted that leading Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2025 brought him a lot of stress, despite rumors of rift within the team.

Riyan Parag has revealed that he dealt with heavy pressure during Rajasthan Royals’ 2025 IPL campaign, as speculation of dressing room unrest continued to circulate. Parag, recovering from a shoulder injury, reflected on his struggles while leading East Zone in the Duleep Trophy.

Parag captained Rajasthan Royals in eight matches last season, securing only two wins while standing in for Sanju Samson. His form was also affected by the shoulder issue, which restricted his consistency with both bat and ball.

In the ongoing Duleep Trophy, Parag scored 39 runs in East Zone’s first innings and bowled 22 overs for one wicket, dismissing Yash Dhull. However, North Zone claimed the game on first innings lead.

“Since the IPL, I haven’t really played any cricket,” Parag said after the game, as quoted by PTI.

“[In the] IPL also, I was managing a lot of stress and stuff like that. But this was a good outing. Not in a good way with the amount of overs we fielded. But then, rolled my arm for a few overs, batted for a while. I could have converted it for a bigger score, but I’m happy. The arm also feels much better,” he added.

Parag continues to remain in the spotlight as speculation grows over Rajasthan Royals’ internal dynamics following Rahul Dravid’s exit as India’s head coach. Reports from PTI suggest Dravid was not in favor of Parag’s captaincy during Sanju Samson’s absence, despite the franchise grooming the youngster for years.

Looking ahead, Parag is prioritizing recovery and preparation for the domestic season. With the Ranji Trophy on the horizon and India’s Australia tour scheduled for October, he is targeting consistency to push for a national recall.

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“The match felt good. I mean, that was the main goal when I came here to play the game. Performances, I didn’t really focus on it that much. I just wanted to have some fun. I haven’t played competitive cricket in a long time,” he said.

“I think it’s back to basics now. I took a break for the shoulder and stuff like that happened. Ranji is coming in, then the Australia tour is coming in (in October). If I get selected there, I do that. Otherwise, I will go back to domestic cricket and do what I’ve been doing for the last 2-3 years. Be top scoring every single game, and have a good IPL and play for the country again,” Parag concluded.