Sanju Samson, Rajasthan Royals, IPL 2021
Image Credits: Twitter

Sanju Samson, the newly appointed captain of the Rajasthan Royals, opines that they have a squad assembled to go all the way in the tournament this year. The Royals dropped Steve Smith after they finished at the bottom of the points table last season in the UAE, and have put their faith in the wicket-keeper from Kerala.

Despite finishing with the wooden spoon last year, Sanju Samson says that they didn’t do much wrong. The 26-year-old believes that Rajasthan has one of the strongest squads on paper with match-winners, both Indian and overseas. The new skipper expects his side to play a fearless brand of cricket- it will help with players such as Jos Buttler, Ben Stokes, David Miller, and Rahul Tewatia in the side.

Rajasthan Royals
Rajasthan Royals (Image Credit: Twitter)

“I don’t think we did too much wrong in the last season. If you look at our XI on paper, we’re one of the best. So, I would like to tell everyone that we are a great bunch of players and we just need to play some good cricket. If we are in the right mindset as a team, I believe good things are ahead of us,” Sanju Samson told Hindustan Times.

“This format demands a lot of fearless cricket, be it in batting, bowling or fielding. It’s all about speed, power and expressing yourself. That’s what I expect from my team,” he added.

I would not like to put Morris under too much pressure: Sanju Samson

As a captain, Sanju Samson would need to learn to manage his players well, especially the high-profile foreign recruits. One of which is Chris Morris, who became the most expensive IPL player in the auction ever. The South African was bought for INR 16.25 crore by the Royals after he was released by the Royal Challengers Bangalore.

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Chris Morris for Rajasthan Royals
Chris Morris for Rajasthan Royals (Twitter)

The skipper says that he wouldn’t like to put any kind of extra pressure on the all-rounder. Morris picked up 11 wickets at a brilliant economy of 6.63 last season, and will lead the bowling attack in absence of Jofra Archer.

“I would not like to put him (Morris) under too much pressure or tell him that he’s the biggest member of this team. Everyone has a big role to play; even someone bowling one over might have a crucial role.

“But we’re excited to have Morris back. He’s a very happy-go-lucky person, someone who likes to keep the atmosphere light. But when he enters the ground, he is a completely different person—competitive and eager to win matches. It’s great to have an individual like that in the team,” Samson further stated.

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