Speaking exclusively on JioCinema’s IPL Retention Special, On the retentions of Rajasthan Royals (RR), Head Coach Rahul Dravid said: “We have decided that we will do six out of six retentions. We will retain Sanju Samson, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel, Riyan Parag, Shimron Hetmyer, and Sandeep Sharma. We came to this decision because we trust our talent. We also trust that we want to maintain and build with that core.”
On retaining Sanju Samson as the No. 1 pick, Dravid explained: “Sanju Samson is our batsman, wicketkeeper and captain. He has been the captain of this team for many years. So, it was a no-brainer for us to retain him as he will be our captain in the future too. He was a top retainer pick for us and he was very involved in our decision process as well.”
Discussing the advantage of retaining six players, Dravid said: “There is definitely a stability when you retain six players. We could only retain six players, but if we could have done more, we would have retained more for sure. We believe that the players we have retained are deserving. Of course, you have less money when you go to the auction, but there is a certain stability that you have blocked in some areas and then you can see how you have to make the whole team.”
On Sanju Samson’s role in the retention decisions, Dravid shared: “Sanju Samson played a big role in the retention, and it was difficult for him as well. As a captain, he has built a lot of relationships with the players. He has had a lot of balanced views about this. He has taken the trouble to understand the dynamics of it, the pros and cons of this. So, I would like to praise him for discussing this with us. It was not an easy decision for us either.”
On expectations from the upcoming season and the auction table, Dravid stated: “For the next season, the expectation will be that we qualify and win. It’s been many years since Rajasthan has won a title. So, our effort will be to win, but we also understand that there are very good teams in IPL. The rules of the RTM have also changed a bit, so we will definitely get to see something different in this auction. In the auction, you have to do some preparation and planning, but there you have to show some flexibility. We have built a foundation for us, we have created a base, we have retained a core, we will take this forward and fill it and make a good squad.”
