Rajasthan Royals (RR) skipper Sanju Samson will feature only as a batter in the first three matches of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 due to fitness issues. He is likely to be used as an impact player, while Riyan Parag has been named stand-in captain for the initial games. Rajasthan Royals shared the update through a video featuring Sanju Samson confirming the development on their official social media handle.
“Update: Sanju will be playing our first three games as a batter, with Riyan stepping up to lead the boys in these matches,” reads the caption of the RR's social media post.
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Sanju Samson Not Fit For First Three IPL Matches
Sanju Samson said he isn't fully fit for the first three IPL 2025 matches and confirmed that Riyan Parag will lead Rajasthan Royals in his absence. He expressed confidence in Parag's leadership and urged the team to support him.
"I am not completely fit for the next three games. There are lot of leaders in this group. In the last few years, some great people have taken care of this environment really nicely. For the next three games, Riyan will lead the team," Sanju Samson said.
"He is capable of doing it. I expect everyone to support him and be with him," he added.
Rajasthan Royals will kick their IPL 2025 campaign off on March 23 (Sunday) with a clash against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. Both RR and SRH clashed in the Qualifier 2 match of the IPL 2024 season where the Pat Cummins-led SRH defeated Sanju Samson's RR by 36 runs.