Jaipur:Rajasthan Royals’ IPL-2025 campaign has been turbulent so far, marked by inconsistencies and missteps. During the previous three seasons, the Royals Increased their game and managed to qualify twice for the playoffs, especially by playing the final in 2022.
This time, they found it difficult to reproduce this success. On the one hand, they started the season on a bad note. The absence of regular Sanju captain Samson For the first three games due to an injury to the right index, suffered during a T20i against England in February 2025, was an early blow from which the franchise has not yet recovered.
Samson, a cornerstone of the Royals’ configuration since 2013, has undergone surgery and rehabilitation to the BCCI Center of Excellence in Bengaluru. Although clearing to beat, it was not allowed to keep the counters or the field, reducing it to a “sub-sous” for the opening matches against SRH, KKR and CSK.
The absence of Samson as a field leader has exposed vulnerabilities in the dynamics of the team. The decision to appoint Riyan Parag, 23, as a captain, sparked an important debate. Riyan, who had an IPL-2024 season with 573 points, was chosen for the star opener Yashasvi JaiswalDespite the growing stature of the latter in international cricket.
The decision to bypass Jaiswal for the role of captain sparked a widespread discussion. Jaiswal, kept for Rs 18 CR, was a coherent interpreter for the Royals, amassing 1367 points in the last three IPL seasons at a typing rate of 153.02, including 625 points in 2023. It was reported that the head coach Gautam Gambir considers too Jaiswal as a potential candidate.
The Directorate of the Royals justified this decision by quoting Parag’s leadership experience as a domestic captain of Assam, where he led the team to 10 victories in 17 T20 games between 2021 and 2023, with an average of 67.09 with a typing rate of 167.72. The official explanation of the team was that “the decision to present Riyan the captain underlines the confidence of the franchise in his direction, a competence he demonstrated through his mandate as a domestic captain of Assam”.
However, Riyan’s passage as Captain RR has been disappointing and aroused criticism. The 23 -year -old led the Royals to a single victory in four IPL games as a captain this season. The feeling of social media was also hard, fans accusing the franchise of “favoritism”. The contributions to the Riyan stick have also been modest, with 212 points so far in eight outings at a striking rate of 148.25.
There is no doubt that Samson as a captain exhibited the leadership and fragile tactics of the team. Captaincy Gamble can now define their campaign. Samson is watched, at the RCB game, Samson will miss the team’s next match against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) while continuing its recovery process, the franchise announced on Monday.
“Team management closely monitors its progress and will adopt a match match approach concerning its return to action,” said the franchise. Samson suffered an abdominal injury in the match against Delhi’s capital last Wednesday at the Arun Jaitley stadium. Riyan Parag will continue to direct the side
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