Yashasvi Jaiswal at RR — still the opener, now the captain, and not yet the finished article
The Royals have handed him the armband with conditions — including a freedom to take risks at the top. How the team sheet has shifted around him.
The captaincy context
Yashasvi Jaiswal was named RR captain in the pre-season press conference, taking the armband from Sanju Samson. Samson remains part of the playing XI as a player, but the captaincy and the batting-order calls now sit with Jaiswal.
The conditions
The franchise confirmed three conditions: Jaiswal will continue to open the batting, the franchise expects him to take calculated risks in the powerplay, and Samson retains a key role in the middle order.
What changed in the team sheet
Two changes. First, the middle order has been adjusted to take pressure off Jaiswal — Samson, Parag and Hetmyer have taken on the consolidating role, which frees Jaiswal up to play more aggressively at the top. Second, the Impact Player slot has been used for an extra bowler in most games, which means Jaiswal is more likely to bat through the innings.
Leadership read
The Rahul Dravid influence is visible. Jaiswal’s captaincy has been measured but proactive — the field-setting changes at the death have been smarter than at most other franchises’. He is not yet at the level of a Rohit Sharma death-overs captain, but he is improving match by match.
The desk verdict
Jaiswal’s captaincy will be one of the more interesting subplots of the second half of the season. For fantasy players, his form is the primary read — the captaincy is downstream of that.
FAQs
Is Yashasvi Jaiswal the RR captain?
Yes, he was named captain at the pre-season press conference.
Did Sanju Samson lose the captaincy?
He stepped down as captain but remains a key player in the XI.
Is Jaiswal a fantasy pick?
Yes — he is a consistent captain pick on the desk’s reads.
