There was good news for the inaugural Indian Premier League (IPL) champions Rajasthan Royals this week with their star player regaining fitness ahead of the IPL 2025 season. RR captain and wicketkeeper Sanju Samson has joined the squad for the pre-season camp in Jaipur after recovering from a finger fracture that he suffered in the India vs England T20 series last month.
Under Samson’s captaincy, RR will begin their IPL 2025 campaign against Sunrisers Hyderabad on March 23 at Uppal Stadium in Hyderabad. According to a report in ESPNCricinfo website, Samson had been undergoing rehabilitation at Bengaluru’s Centre of Excellence (COE), and it remains uncertain whether he will take up wicketkeeping duties in the opening match. If he isn’t fully fit, Dhruv Jurel may step in as the designated wicketkeeper.
“Straight from the airport to our first practice match to making everyone smile like he does!” RR said in a post on ‘X’.
Straight from the airport ➡️ to our first practice match ➡️ to making everyone smile like he does! 💗💗 pic.twitter.com/da89DV0Jgt
— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) March 18, 2025
During the fifth T20I against England in February, Jurel took over wicketkeeping duties after Samson injured his finger while batting against a Jofra Archer delivery. In the previous IPL season, Samson delivered an impressive performance, scoring 531 runs in 15 innings across 16 matches. He averaged 48.27 with a strike rate of 153.46, registering five half-centuries, with a top-score of 86, and finishing as the tournament’s fifth-highest run-getter.
Meanwhile, all-rounder Riyan Parag is set to feature in the starting 11 after recovering from a shoulder injury. After missing the T20I series against South Africa and England, Parag returned to action in the second phase of the Ranji Trophy, where he scored a half-century and bowled 26 overs for Assam against Saurashtra.
Parag was RR’s leading run-scorer last season and the third-highest overall in the tournament. He had a breakthrough year, amassing 573 runs at an average of 52.09 and a strike rate of 149.21, with four half-centuries and a top score of 84 not out. His promotion to the No. 3 position from the lower middle order proved highly successful.
Following their opener against SRH, RR will play two consecutive home games against defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on March 26 and March 30, respectively. These matches will take place in Guwahati, the team’s second home venue in the IPL 2025.
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