“Had the perfect, now it’s about children” says Samson

With a fresh season and a new perspective, Rajasthan Royals are coming into the IPL 2025. Sanju Samson & Co’s Rajasthan Royals will be starting their season with the first of the doubleheader matches against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) (RR vs SRH) in Hyderabad. Like last year, the team doesn’t have an opener like Jos Buttler and even lacks the bowling attack they had earlier. The full-time captain Sanju Samson acknowledges the challenge this poses but is confident that the young talents can “prove what they’re made of.”

Big changes in the squad

While the Royals still have Sandeep Sharma, they’ve lost key players like Ravichandran Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal, and Trent Boult. The batting side also has a gap with Jos Buttler moving to Gujarat Titans, a decision Samson described as difficult. “Last three years, I was surrounded by some of the best cricketers. Now I’m surrounded by younger players in IPL. [We are] taking a look at it in a optimistic method,” he mentioned.

Samson will be playing the first three matches as an impact player, and he’s still recovering from his injury. In the other innings, Riyan Parag, who scored the most runs for the team last year, will be leading the team.

Looking ahead with new talent

Rajasthan Royals’ current bowling lineup features Jofra Archer, returning since 2020-21, and Maheesh Theekshana, along with promising Indian players like Akash Madhwal, Tushar Deshpande, and Kumar Kartikeya. “We have to let go of the past and approach with a fresh mindset,” Samson stated.

He trusts his bowlers, combining his experience with their ideas to succeed this season. “I’m a type of captain who trusts the bowlers. They need to tell me their strength and what they want to bowl. It’s a mixture of my experience and their thinking coming together and them finding the right way to go ahead. After playing a few games, we will understand their strengths and weaknesses.”

Preparing for high-scoring season

Hyderabad is one of the highest-scoring grounds in India. Last year, SRH posted a massive 277 runs against Mumbai Indians at the same venue, which has given a hope of 300 runs in the T20 format. Samson acknowledges that conditions will be tough for bowlers despite new rules like allowing a ball change after 10 overs of the chase to combat dew. “In the powerplay, bowlers have been targeted a lot. New tricks like change of pace are vital,” he said. The addition of the saliva rule and ball change can aid bowlers, but the season is expected to see high scores.