Follow UsRajasthan Royals (RR) will most likely be without their skipper, Sanju Samson, who injured himself during their super over loss against Delhi Capitals on April 16 (Wednesday). Samson retired himself out in the clash during the run chase, after smashing 31 off 19 balls, where he hit two fours and three sixes.
"Sanju experienced a bit of pain in the abdominal area," RR’s head coach Rahul Dravid confirmed in the pre-match press conference.
"So we have gone for scans. He has done some scans today, so we are waiting for the results of those scans. And then once we get a bit more clarity around the scans and the severity of [the injury] we'll take a decision going forward and we'll see what happens."
However, Samson said he was ‘alright’ after the clash.
"It feels alright," Samson told the broadcasters after the match when he was asked about the pain on his side. "I was just not ready to come back and bat here. We'll observe it tomorrow and see how it is."
It is the second time this season that Samson is recovering from an injury after he started the season as an impact option for the Royals. In his absence, Riyan Parag captained the Royals, with one win out of three games.
Dravid also cleared the air surrounding a rift between him and Samson, stating that the Kerala wicketkeeper-batter is an integral part of the Royals’ leadership group.
"The decisions are being made by me and with Sanju Samson being an integral part of that and consultation with our other coaches and our analyst team," Dravid said.
"No one claims that every decision that even experts make works out and is correct. But I respect the fact and I am very confident of the team that I have around me, that is supporting me and Sanju in making these decisions.”
“With regards to the specific one on Jofra and Sandeep, Sandeep is someone that we trust. He has been bowling some fantastic overs for us. He has bowled all the difficult overs for us in this tournament. And we completely back him and support him and we felt he was the right bowler for us on that wicket in those conditions with the skills that he has."
With the Royals eighth on the IPL 2025 table, they would hope to return to form against Lucknow Super Giants, on April 19 (Saturday).