IPL 2025: Sanju Samson ruled out of tournament? Huge update on Rajasthan Royals skipper arrives
Published - 12 Feb 2025, 05:42 PM | Updated - 12 Feb 2025, 05:43 PM
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Indian wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson successfully underwent surgery on his injured finger on Tuesday (February 11) but is expected to recover in time for the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, where he will captain Rajasthan Royals (RR).
Samson injured his finger during the fifth and final T20I against England earlier this month. The right-handed batter was hit on the index finger by a Jofra Archer delivery. He received treatment on the field and continued batting for a short while before being dismissed after scoring 16 runs off 7 balls in the final T20I against England at the Wankhede Stadium.
Sanju Samson expected to be fit for IPL 2025 after successful finger surgery
Later, as a precaution, Dhruv Jurel took over wicketkeeping duties and took three catches to play an important role in India's dominant 150-run victory over England. This injury was a setback for the Kerala cricket team, as the senior player had to miss the quarter-final match in the Ranji Trophy 2024-25 against Jammu & Kashmir in Pune.
According to ESPNCricinfo, Sanju Samson is expected to be out of action for about a month to recover from the surgery. However, the Indian wicketkeeper-batter should be fit and ready by the time the IPL starts later in March 2025.
Wishing a speedy recovery to Sanju Samson! 🙏💙
— Rajesh Gaonkar (@GaonkarRajesh1) February 11, 2025
IPL is crucial for him, and we can't wait to see him back in action..
Stay strong Skipper!❤️ pic.twitter.com/SjXVR7vECe
Meanwhile, after smashing three centuries in the two T20I series last year, it seemed that Samson had cemented his place in the Indian cricket team, but his recent performance against England in the home series is really alarming for the Kerala star.
Sanju Samson failed to deliver against England
Samson had a tough T20I series against England, managing only 51 runs in five matches at an average of 10.20 and a strike rate of 118.60. His last ODI appearance was in December 2023 in South Africa, where he scored a century, but he was later left out of India’s three ODIs in 2024.
Also, the Indian wicketkeeper batter was not picked in Kerala’s squad for the Vijay Hazare Trophy after he missed the team's preparatory camp ahead of the tournament. It is being said that this was the reason behind Sanju’s overlooking for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
Well, Samson's next task will be leading the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in IPL 2025. Under his captaincy, the Royals reached the IPL 2024 playoffs, but they were eliminated by Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the second Qualifier. The Rajasthan Royals also made it to the IPL finals in 2022 under his captaincy.
Ambati Rayudu identifies technical flaw in Sanju Samson's game against short-pitched deliveries
Meanwhile, former Indian cricketer Ambati Rayudu recently shared his thoughts on Samson's struggles against short-pitched deliveries in the T20I series against England.
Rayudu said that there is a technical flaw in Samson's game, and he needs to address this issue to overcome his struggles with short-pitched bowling in the shorter format of the game.
Ambati Rayudu said on Star Sports: “When you make room and your back leg goes towards the leg stump, your arms don't open up when you try to play the pull.”
Notably, Samson has faced challenges with short-pitched deliveries in T20I cricket, with 9 out of his 18 dismissals by seamers coming from short balls.
During the recent England series, 23 out of the 36 balls Samson faced were short deliveries, while the fast bowlers have dismissed him 11 of his 13 T20I dismissals in the Powerplay.
