Sanju Samson’s availability for Rajasthan Royals’ upcoming match against Lucknow Super Giants on Saturday remains uncertain, as the team waits for scan results following an injury to his side.
“Sanju felt some pain in the abdominal region,” said head coach Rahul Dravid on Friday. “He underwent scans today, and we’re waiting on the results. Once we have a clearer picture, we’ll make a call on his participation.”
The Royals’ skipper retired hurt on 31 off just 19 balls in their previous outing against Delhi Capitals, showing visible discomfort after attempting a cut shot off Vipraj Nigam. He tried to continue, but soon had to walk off. Despite his promising start, RR ended up tying the match and losing in the Super Over.
Speaking after the game, Samson had said, “It feels alright. I just wasn’t ready to return and bat again. We’ll assess it tomorrow and see how it goes.”
Samson came into IPL 2025 recovering from a thumb injury and only played as a batter in the first three matches, with Riyan Parag stepping in as captain. Once cleared by the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru following finger surgery, Samson resumed full duties as captain and wicketkeeper. In his earlier absence, Dhruv Jurel had taken over the gloves.
Under Parag’s interim leadership, RR lost their first two games (to SRH and KKR), but bounced back to beat CSK. After defeating PBKS, the Royals went on a three-match losing streak and are currently sitting eighth on the points table.
Dravid Confident in Royals’ Rebuild Post-Auction
RR have had to adapt to a revamped line-up following the mega auction that saw the departure of key players like Jos Buttler, R Ashwin, and Yuzvendra Chahal. Dravid, however, believes the new setup hasn’t drastically hurt their chances.
“Our opening pair — Yashasvi and Sanju — has actually performed well,” Dravid said. “Even in the last game, they gave us a flying start before Sanju’s injury. I wouldn’t say it was the turning point, because we had faith in the rest of our batters.”
On the auction changes, he added, “This is part of every big auction cycle — teams evolve. It’s not like selecting a state team; there are rules and limitations. While we lost experienced players, we’ve brought in quality replacements. Our Sri Lankan spinners [Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana] are world-class and not just subcontinent specialists.”
Death Bowling Still a Concern
While backing the squad, Dravid admitted that death-over bowling is an area of concern.
“We’ve struggled a bit at the back end of innings — conceding 77 runs in the last five overs in our most recent match, and 72 in the one before that. Ideally, 57-60 is acceptable, but we’re giving away those extra two-three boundaries too often. It’s more about execution than planning — the quality is definitely there.”
Dravid Defends Super Over Call, Takes Responsibility
Addressing the decision to hand the Super Over to Sandeep Sharma over Jofra Archer, Dravid said the call was made after thorough consultation and full faith in Sandeep’s abilities.
“These decisions are mine, in consultation with Sanju, the coaching staff, and analysts. No one can guarantee every decision works out, but I stand by our process,” he said. “Sandeep has bowled our toughest overs all season. We trusted his skills to suit that pitch and situation, and we back him completely.”
As Royals gear up for Saturday’s clash, much will depend on the scan results and whether their captain and key performer can take the field.
