Rajasthan Royals (RR) captain Sanju Samson revealed that he wants to relinquish the wicketkeeping duties in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season. Sanju Samson said that this decision comes after discussions with the Rajasthan Royals’ team management and his teammate Dhruv Jurel.
Rajasthan Royals entered the IPL 2025 auction with the lowest purse of Rs. 41 crore after retaining six players. The Royals retained Samson (Rs. 18 crore), Yashasvi Jaiswal (Rs. 18), Riyan Parag (Rs. 14), and Dhruv Jurel (Rs. 14). RR also retained Shimron Hetmyer (Rs. 11 crore) and Sandeep Sharma (Rs. 4).
Dhruv Jurel Needs to Wear the Gloves in the IPL – Sanju Samson
In a conversation with AB de Villiers on his YouTube channel, Samson said that he will give up wicketkeeping duties in the IPL 2025. He said that Dhruv Jurel, who is currently a Test wicketkeeper, would take over the gloves, as it’s important for his development.
“I have not said this on air but we feel where Dhruv Jurel is at this point of his career as a Test wicket-keeper, he needs to wear the gloves in the IPL. That was a discussion. I think we will be sharing gloves,” Samson said.
I Have Never Captained as a Fielder – Sanju Samson
The 30-year-old cricketer emphasized that he had never captained as a fielder, but he was open to sharing the responsibility with Jurel. He also stated that the team should come first, and the individual must be given importance.
“I have never captained as a fielder. That might be challenging. I have told him ‘Dhruv, I understand where you are coming from and I think as a leader of the team, you should also keep for a few games.’ We will see how to play around with that but nothing should come before the team. The team should come first and the individual must be given importance,” Samson added.
Sanju Samson Has Been Rajasthan Royals’ Primary Wicketkeeper Since 2021
Sanju Samson has been Rajasthan Royals’ primary wicketkeeper since 2021, despite Jos Buttler’s presence over the years. Samson has kept wickets in 111 of his 146 matches for the franchise. His last appearance as a specialist batter was in 2022.
With Buttler’s exit, RR is looking for a new opening partner for Yashasvi Jaiswal. Samson, who has recently opened for India in T20Is and scored three centuries in his last five innings, could take on the opener role for RR as well. Dhruv Jurel is expected to bat in the middle order, with Nitish Rana and Riyan Parag.
Best Playing XI for Rajasthan Royals for IPL 2025:
Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson (C), Nitish Rana, Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Shimron Hetmyer, Shubham Dubey, Wanindu Hasaranga, Jofra Archer, Tushar Deshpande, Sandeep Sharma, Impact Sub: Maheesh Theekshana/Fazalhaq Farooqi
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