IPL 2025: Sanju Samson Wins Toss, Rajasthan Royals Opt to Bowl First Against CSK In Final League Game

May 20, 2025 : Rajasthan Royals (RR) captain Sanju Samson won the toss and elected to bowl first against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in their final group-stage clash of the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) season at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Tuesday.

The match is a dead rubber, with both teams already out of playoff contention after managing just three wins each in what has been a disappointing campaign.

Also read: Punjab Kings Boost Playoff Hopes with Return of Stoinis, Inglis, Hardie & Jamieson

CSK stuck with their experienced core throughout the season—a strategy that failed to deliver results. Meanwhile, Rajasthan, who turned to youth after Jos Buttler’s exit, also struggled to find consistency.

Speaking at the toss, Samson said, “We will bowl first. Looking at the last game against Delhi Capitals, there was something in the pitch. There’s no hiding in this game—we’ve got to deliver today. Everyone needs to be a match-winner. We have a couple of changes; Yudhvir comes in.”

CSK skipper MS Dhoni emphasized the team’s focus on experimentation ahead of the next season. “We want to express ourselves in the batting department and identify players for next year. We struggled early in the season and couldn’t recover. Now it’s about learning and building for the future,” he said.

Playing XIs:

Rajasthan Royals:
Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Sanju Samson (c & wk), Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Shimron Hetmyer, Wanindu Hasaranga, Kwena Maphaka, Yudhvir Singh Charak, Tushar Deshpande, Akash Madhwal
Impact Subs: Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Kumar Kartikeya, Shubham Dubey, Ashok Sharma, Kunal Singh Rathore