Rajasthan Royals refuse to surrender Sanju Samson, announce team captain for IPL 2026

Rajasthan Royals (RR) has opened up about the growing speculation about skipper and batter Sanju Samson’s future with a cryptic post on social media. Fans are uncertain whether Samson will continue leading the Royals or part ways with the team ahead of the Indian Premier League 2026.

Samson has been in fine form at the Kerala Cricket League. The right-handed batter, opening for Kochi Blue Tigers, scored 285 runs in five games at an average of 71.25 and a strike rate of 182.69, including one century and two fifties. He has also smashed the most sixes in the tournament so far (21).

Watch: Rajasthan Royals Refuse to Surrender Sanju Samson

Rajasthan Royals shared a video of Sanju Samson’s red-hot form in KCL 2025. The wicketkeeper-batter was referred to as the captain, which grabbed the attention of fans.

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Watch the video of the same posted by Rajasthan Royals on Instagram below:

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A post shared by Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals)

The 30-year-old batter smashed his third fifty-plus score of the tournament. After batting in the middle order earlier, he moved to the top order. According to ESPNcricinfo, all three of his T20I centuries have come while opening the innings. He has amassed 512 runs at a strike rate of 182.20.

Sanju Samson Endured a Difficult IPL 2025 Campaign With Rajasthan Royals

Sanju Samson endured a difficult IPL 2025 campaign with the Rajasthan Royals. He suffered a finger injury earlier in the year against England, which forced him to feature as an Impact Substitute in the initial matches.

Samson played only nine league games, scoring 285 runs at an average of 35.63 and a strike rate of 140.39, including one half-century. Riyan Parag captained the side in several matches during Samson’s absence.

The inaugural champions also struggled throughout the tournament, finishing ninth on the points table. Notably, RR appointed Samson as their captain ahead of the 2021 season. Under his leadership, the team reached the final in 2022 but failed to make the playoffs in two of the next three seasons.

Sanju Samson Has Been Scoring Heavily At Top Order

Sanju Samson has been scoring heavily at the top of the order, but his role in India’s playing XI during the Asia Cup 2025 remains uncertain. He has been picked as the primary wicketkeeper-batter, yet team balance might keep him out of the starting XI.

Shubman Gill, who has also been appointed vice-captain, might force Samson out of the opening slot. Gill is expected to open with Abhishek Sharma, while Tilak Varma and captain Suryakumar Yadav are likely to take charge in the middle order.

India could turn to Jitesh Sharma in the lower middle order, given Samson’s underwhelming record when batting below number four in T20Is. However, Samson’s fine form makes him hard to overlook, creating a genuine selection dilemma.

Also read: Babar Azam humiliated by teammate over strike rate ahead of Asia Cup 2025