Sandeep Sharma openly revolts against Riyan Parag as Rajasthan Royals' captain

Rajasthan Royals (RR) pacer Sandeep Sharma has opened up about the team's recent struggles in the absence of captain Sanju Samson in recent IPL 2025 matches. Sharma stated that Sanju Samson's injury disrupted the team as they suffered their fifth consecutive loss in the ongoing T20 tournament.

Rajasthan Royals lost to Royal Challengers Bengaluru by 11 runs at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Thursday, April 24. The team played without regular captain Sanju Samson, who is sidelined with a side strain. Young all-rounder Riyan Parag led the Jaipur-based franchise in their recent two matches.

Sanju Samson's Absence Has Definitely Been Felt - Sandeep Sharma

Speaking at the post-match press conference, Sandeep Sharma said that the team has been struggling without Samson’s tactical captaincy and presence as a batter. Sandeep Sharma did not criticize stand-in skipper Riyan Parag, but his comments hinted at a lack of stability within the squad.

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"Obviously, his absence has been felt. He’s a very experienced captain and player, and as a batsman, he’s very smart. So yes, his absence has definitely been felt. He didn’t captain the first three matches, and after that, he got a side injury again. Obviously, all this is costing us. All these things have come together and are pulling the team down," Sandeep Sharma said.

Sanju Samson's IPL 2025 Campaign Disrupted by Recurring Injuries

Sanju Samson’s IPL 2025 campaign has been disrupted by recurring injuries. He began the season playing solely as a batter in the first three matches due to a finger injury, with Riyan Parag captaining in his place.

Samson later returned to lead the team for three games, but he suffered a rib injury during the dramatic super-over loss to Delhi Capitals on April 16. The right-handed batter was forced to retire hurt after scoring 31 off 19 balls.

That injury sidelined him for the following two matches, including a close defeat to Lucknow Super Giants and a loss to Royal Challengers Bengaluru. He has scored 224 runs at an average above 30 and a strike rate exceeding 140.

Riyan Parag Provides Update on Sanju Samson's Recovery

Riyan Parag revealed at the toss in Bengaluru that Sanju Samson is still recovering from injury, with no confirmed date for his return. The Royals are currently eighth in the standings with only two wins from nine games.

After winning the toss, RR conceded 205/5 in 20 overs, with contributions from Virat Kohli (70 off 42) and Devdutt Padikkal (50 off 27). In response, Yashasvi Jaiswal (49 off 19) and Dhruv Jurel (47 off 34) led the charge, but their efforts fell short.

This was RR’s seventh loss of the season. With a maximum of 14 points still possible, their playoff hopes are hanging by a thread. They now not only need to win all remaining games but must also do so convincingly. A washout or another defeat would all but end their chances.

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