Sanju Samson, the captain and key wicketkeeper-batter for Rajasthan Royals, might not be playing for the rest of IPL 2025. Reports from Sportstar indicate that the 30-year-old cricketer, who hails from Kerala, has had some scans done, and his future in the tournament is now in question, depending on what those results show.
Samson is a vital player for RR; he holds the record as their top run scorer in IPL history. Before the start of this season, he was kept on the team for a hefty Rs 18 crore at the mega auction. This season, he started off strong, playing as a pure batter in the first three matches. Unfortunately, during a game against Delhi Capitals, he got injured and had to retire hurt while batting in the sixth over. He couldn’t even take his place in the super over, which contributed to the team’s loss.
If Samson can’t play anymore this season, it would really hurt the team, especially considering they were former champions. Their upcoming match against Delhi Capitals is set for Saturday, April 19, at Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur. Fans are definitely waiting to see if he’ll be joining that match.
In case Samson is sidelined, Riyan Parag is likely to step up as captain. He had already taken the reins during the first three matches of the season while Samson was in the lineup as an impact player.
So far this season, Samson has played all seven games for the Royals. He’s managed to score a total of 224 runs, with one notable half-century included in that. In his first match of IPL 2025, he opened the batting with Yashasvi Jaiswal and made a fantastic 66 runs off just 37 balls in a chase of 287 runs against Sunrisers Hyderabad. However, his luck ran out in the next game against Kolkata Knight Riders, where he was bowled out for just 13 runs from 11 balls.
Following that, the scores fluctuated a bit. He managed 20 runs against Chennai Super Kings, 38 runs against Punjab Kings, and then 41 runs against Gujarat Titans. His next performance was 15 runs against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, but he bounced back to finish with an unbeaten 31 against Delhi Capitals. The ups and downs are part of the game, but the team will be hoping for the best as they prepare for their next match.