Riyan Parag has acknowledged the support he received from Sanju Samson and Rahul Dravid during his short stint as the Rajasthan Royals’ stand-in captain. Ahead of the Indian Premier League 2025 season, the RR management appointed Parag to lead the side for the first three matches, as their regular skipper, Sanju Samson, opted to play solely as a batter while recovering from a finger injury. With Dhruv Jurel taking over the wicketkeeping duties, Parag faced the challenge of leading the team at the highest level. While he has prior captaincy experience at the domestic level, the Assam batter had a tough start to his IPL leadership journey. Rajasthan Royals were handed a 44-run defeat by Sunrisers Hyderabad in their opening contest at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. Despite the challenging start, Parag remains optimistic and credits Samson and Dravid for their invaluable guidance. Speaking at a pre-match press conference ahead of RR’s clash against Kolkata Knight Riders, Parag spoke about the team's support system. "Not at all. I think everyone here is a professional. Everyone knows what to do when there is a new leader. Sanju [Samson] Bhai has been really helpful, and Rahul Dravid has also been a great support. So I have not really faced any trouble assembling the team or getting someone in the same line of communication," Parag said. 'Our middle order is a big plus' Reflecting on the loss against SRH, Parag highlighted the positives, particularly the performance of the middle-order batters. While Rajasthan Royals fell short by 44 runs, he was encouraged by how the middle order kept the scoreboard moving. "I feel the middle order is always the backbone of any batting order. For them to step up like they did, for them to bat like they did, regardless of the end result, I think that's a big plus because we are not going to give 280 every game of the season. There are going to be 180, 140, 150 games, and that's where we'll need them the most," Parag added. In their massive chase of 287, RR’s top order crumbled early, losing Yashasvi Jaiswal, Parag, and Nitish Rana within the first five overs. However, the middle order kept the team in the chase. Sanju Samson smashed 66 off 37 balls, while Dhruv Jurel top-scored with an impressive 70 off 35 balls. Additionally, Shimron Hetmyer chipped in with a quick 42 off 23 balls, and Shubham Dubey delivered a late flourish, smashing an unbeaten 34 off 11 balls. Also Read: Not up to the mark: Former India opener slams Gill's captaincy Rajasthan Royals will be eager to bounce back when they face Kolkata Knight Riders on Wednesday. As Parag prepares to lead the side for the second time in his career, he will be hoping for an all-around performance from the team.