Riyan Parag Shares His Passion for Football Ahead of IPL 2026
Riyan Parag's Football Affection
London [UK], March 16: Indian cricketer Riyan Parag expressed his enthusiasm for football, particularly the Premier League, as he gears up for the IPL 2026 season. The newly appointed captain of the Rajasthan Royals took a trip to the UK to witness the West Ham vs Manchester City match in the ongoing Premier League 2025-26 season.
During a recent media session, Parag revealed that his passion for football ignited in his childhood, around grade 5. However, he only began to consistently watch and engage with the Premier League in 2018 after joining the IPL, which allowed him the freedom to stay up late for matches—something he couldn't do while living with his parents.
“I truly started following the Premier League when I entered the IPL. Before that, my parents wouldn’t let me stay up late to watch the games. I began playing football in grade 5, which sparked my love for the sport. But it was in 2018, while playing in the IPL, that I could finally stay up late and watch the matches,” Riyan Parag shared.
As for the current Premier League season, Parag is optimistic that Arsenal will break their title drought and claim victory this year.
Arsenal is currently at the top of the Premier League standings with 70 points, holding a nine-point lead over Manchester City.
“I believe Arsenal will end their drought and win the title,” Parag stated confidently.
Turning to his IPL career, Riyan Parag has been named the captain of the Rajasthan Royals for the upcoming IPL 2026 season, following the trade of former captain Sanju Samson to the Chennai Super Kings in exchange for all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran.
Last season, when Samson was sidelined for eight matches due to injuries, Parag took over as captain, but the team managed only two victories under his leadership.
Parag has been with the Rajasthan Royals for all seven seasons, playing every match in the last two seasons. His best performance came in 2024, where he scored 573 runs at an average of 52.09 and a strike rate of 149.21. Overall, he has participated in 84 matches for RR, accumulating 1566 runs and taking 7 wickets.