April 13, 2025: Rajasthan Royals (RR) suffered a 58-run defeat against Gujarat Titans (GT) on Wednesday, which highlighted several weaknesses in their batting and bowling departments, despite a recent string of victories. After a solid two-win streak last week, RR’s performance was once again a reminder of the challenges they face in the current IPL season.
The Rajasthan Royals have a younger squad this year, with fresh faces in the batting lineup, and the team has been inconsistent in their recent matches. However, despite this, captain Sanju Samson believes that his team, despite its youth, has enough experience to turn things around.
Samson, in an interview with ESPNcricinfo, acknowledged the youth in the squad but emphasized their significant experience in both international cricket and the IPL. “I feel yes, this time we have a much younger side but there are lots of positives about it,” he said. Samson highlighted the fact that most of the younger players, including Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel, Riyan Parag, and Shubham Dubey, have played substantial amounts of international and IPL cricket, making them well-equipped to handle the pressure of the tournament.
He noted that while the squad may appear young, it was crucial to understand the match experience they bring to the table. “I don’t think they are young in cricketing aspect,” said Samson, expressing confidence that the players could perform when needed.
Samson also opened up about how his role has evolved this season, particularly when compared to his role in India’s T20I setup. In the Indian team, he is expected to bat aggressively from the start due to the depth in their batting lineup. However, with RR’s more balanced but younger squad, he has had to adopt a more adaptable approach. “When I play for the India team, we are batting deep and we are expected to go hard from ball one, but here our team combination is such where we need to actually play a different kind of role,” Samson explained. Despite these changes, he believes his experience has prepared him well to handle the role and to mentor the younger players.
Samson further acknowledged the mentorship role he has with the younger players, noting that the presence of a coach like Rahul Dravid will help the players continue to grow and mature. He added that the team was focused on winning, and whether young or experienced, everyone in the squad is there to contribute towards that goal. “Eventually the franchise owner wants to build a team which can win the trophy… so definitely we play to win,” he said.
Samson also hinted at the possibility of making changes to the squad if needed. He is open to bold decisions, including altering the team combination, as he believes the players on the bench are capable of stepping in when required.
Looking ahead, the captain expressed his optimism about the remaining matches. “We have gone past the starting stage of the tournament. Now I think it’s the business end. And we need to actually win the most number of games,” Samson added. With the race for the playoffs heating up, he emphasized that the team needs to believe in themselves and stick to their strengths.
Samson confirmed that wrist-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga, who had been away for personal reasons, has rejoined the squad and will be available for the match against his former team, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), on Sunday. Additionally, he acknowledged the team needs to improve its over-rate management. “We played four fast bowlers in the last match. It’s a bit challenging for us, but we will bowl as fast as we can,” Samson said, highlighting the team’s efforts to avoid penalties for slow over-rates in the future.
With RR in a crucial phase of the tournament, Sanju Samson’s leadership and adaptability will be key to helping his side bounce back and compete in the business end of IPL 2025.