Rajasthan Royals (RR) captain Sanju Samson hasn’t received a fitness clearance from the Centre of Excellence (formerly National Cricket Academy).
The 30-year-old has been out of action for 6 weeks. Instead of joining the team to prepare for their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 opener against the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on March 23, he’s currently under rehabilitation in Bengaluru.
Having fractured his right index finger in early February, Samson is part of Kerala’s maiden Ranji Trophy final run. He was expected to join RR camp on March 16 or 17 but now it doesn’t seem certain.
Sanju Samson to miss SRH vs RR match?
According to a PTI report, the medical staff at the Centre of Excellence are satisfied when it comes to Samson looking at ease while batting. However, they aren’t too certain whether he should be RR’s designated wicketkeeper. At least in the early stages of the IPL 2025 season.
They went to monitor his ability to keep wickets without feeling any pain or discomfort. This could mean that even if Samson does play the SRH vs. RR match in Hyderabad, Dhruv Jurel might be the gloveman.
“While the Centre of Excellence physios have been satisfied with Samson’s ability to bat without any struggle, they would want to take a closer look at his comfort levels while wicketkeeping,” the report read.
However, nothing seems certain at this point. While RR would want their captain to play the opener on March 23, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) can’t risk Samson, a centrally contracted player. He is part of the India cricket team’s T20 World Cup plans, and therefore, the BCCI will have a very keen eye on his fitness and physical well-being.
Rajasthan Royals squad for IPL 2025
Batters: Sanju Samson (c & wk), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Shimron Hetmyer
, Nitish Rana, Shubham Dubey, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Kunal Rathore
All-rounders: Riyan Parag, Wanindu Hasaranga
Bowlers: Sandeep Sharma, Jofra Archer, Maheesh Theekshana, Tushar Deshpande, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Kwena Maphaka, Akash Madhwal, Yudhvir Singh, Kumar Kartikeya, Ashok Sharma
