Sanju Samson has been a key figure for the Rajasthan Royals for quite a while now. He’s been the captain since 2021, and under his leadership, the team made it to the IPL finals in 2022. Fast forward to the 2025 season, and he’s still the captain, but he’s unable to lead the team for the first three matches due to a finger injury. In his place, Riyan Parag is stepping up to captain the team at the start of the season.
Recently, Sanju shared his thoughts about his future as the captain and the challenges that lie ahead for the Rajasthan Royals this season. He mentioned that back when he guided the team to the finals in 2022, he started to think about how he wouldn’t always be the captain. He recognized the importance of preparing new leaders for the future. He said, While I was in my second year as captain, I was aware that my time wouldn’t last forever. There’s a need for someone to step up and be nurtured for that role.
He also talked about how the post-auction phase presents its own set of challenges, especially with a younger group of players joining the squad this time around. But he’s feeling positive about their potential. According to him, these young players are eager to show what they can do and they’ve had prior experience in T20 cricket, which is a plus.
On a different note, Riyan Parag’s initial experience as captain didn’t go as planned for the Royals. In their opening match, the Sunrisers Hyderabad posted a whopping 286 runs in just 20 overs, coming close to breaking their own record for the highest IPL score. This puts pressure on the Rajasthan Royals to come back stronger and fight harder in the upcoming matches if they want to turn their season around.
