The problems of Rajasthan Royals ( RR ) are not decreasing in the 18th season of IPL . In fact, there is doubt over the playing of dashing batsman Sanju Samson in the match against Lucknow Super Giants ( LSG ) on April 19, as Rajasthan Royals are waiting for the results of his injury scan.
Sanju Samson retired hurt after scoring 31 runs off 19 balls due to a suspected side strain during Rajasthan Royals’ recent match against Delhi Capitals on Wednesday.
Rajasthan Royals captain Sanju Samson felt uncomfortable while attempting a cut shot off Delhi Capitals’ Vipraj Nigam, after which the physio had to check the left side of his ribs. Although he faced the next ball, Samson soon left the field. The match ended in a draw and Rajasthan Royals eventually lost in the Super Over.
Head coach Rahul Dravid said in the pre-match press conference on Friday, “Sanju felt a little pain in the abdominal area, so we have gone for scans. He has done a couple of scans today, so we are waiting for the results of those scans. Then once we get a little more clarity about the scans and the severity of the (injury), we will take a further decision and see what happens.”
Samson started IPL 2025 while recovering from a thumb injury and played only as a batsman in the first three matches. During that period, Riyan Parag stepped in as captain and is expected to do so again if required.
Samson, initially used as an impact player, returned to the role of captain and wicketkeeper after being cleared by the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru following finger surgery last month. Dhruv Jurel took over wicketkeeping duties in his absence.
RR, under the captaincy of Riyan Parag, lost their first two matches against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) but bounced back with a win over Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in Guwahati. They then registered a win over Punjab Kings (PBKS) but lost the next three matches after that. As a result, they are currently placed eighth in the points table.
Dravid admitted that Rajasthan Royals need to improve their death overs with the ball at the end of the innings. “We suffered a bit with our death bowling. We conceded 77 runs in the last five games, in the last game. The game before that, we conceded 72 runs. I think that’s another area for us that we need to get a little bit better, work a little bit more in the death overs. I think our plans have been pretty good. It’s more around the execution of some of those skills.”
