Sanju Samson joins Rajasthan Royals squad after surgery

GUWAHATI: Rajasthan Royals (RR) skipper Sanju Samson has joined the squad ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season after recovering from finger surgery.

Samson had sustained an injury during India’s T20I series against England in February, which ruled him out of the remainder of the series and required surgical intervention.

Since then, he has been undergoing rehabilitation at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru to regain full fitness. While his return to the RR squad is a big boost for the team, there is still uncertainty over whether he will resume wicketkeeping duties immediately.

The Royals might have to assess his fitness before making a decision, and if he is not yet ready to take up the gloves, Dhruv Jurel could step in as the wicketkeeper for the initial matches.

Jurel, who was also a part of India’s recent T20I setup, had earlier replaced Samson behind the stumps in the fifth T20I against England after the RR captain was hit on the finger by a Jofra Archer delivery. The young wicketkeeper-batter has been in impressive form and is seen as a key backup option for RR this season.

In another positive update for RR, Riyan Parag has recovered completely from a shoulder injury and is available for selection. The all-rounder had missed India's T20I assignments against South Africa and England due to his injury but made a strong return in domestic cricket. He featured in the second phase of the Ranji Trophy, where he played a crucial role for his team, scoring a first-innings half-century and bowling 26 overs against Saurashtra.

Rajasthan Royals will kick off their IPL 2025 campaign with an away fixture against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on March 23 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad. Following this, the team will have back-to-back home matches at their second home venue, Guwahati, where they will face Kolkata Knight Riders (March 26) and Chennai Super Kings (March 30) at Barsapara Cricket Stadium.