Injured Sanju Samson out of Rajasthan Royals’ clash against Lucknow Super Giants in Jaipur

In a shocking turn of events, Rajasthan Royals (RR) skipper Sanju Samson is missing from the playing XI for Match 36 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). The fans were perplexed because Samson had played six games in the tournament till then and was quite in shape, both as a batsman and captain. The RR administration, however, confirmed that Samson is rested because he suffered a side strain injury while playing against Delhi Capitals in their previous match.

In that game, Samson was batting fearless when he seemed to pull his lower abdomen during a back-foot shot. He attempted to carry on but had to retire injured on 31 runs. Subsequent medical scans confirmed that the skipper has suffered from a mild side strain, which if not rested, can aggravate. In a precautionary measure, team physicians and support staff decided to rest him today for today's game so that the injury is not aggravated.

Earlier in the campaign, Samson had already missed the initial few games after suffering a finger injury while playing in India's T20I series against England. Nevertheless, he came back strongly and took RR through to a couple of wins, emerging as a key player in the middle order. His non-appearance today has once again raised eyebrows among the fans regarding RR's stability and leadership, particularly in a close-match encounter like this.

Also Read:-Rajasthan Royals vs Lucknow Super Giants (RR vs LSG): Match 36, IPL 2025, Match Preview

In Samson's place, Riyan Parag has been named the acting captain. Parag has been a captain earlier in the initial games of IPL 2025 and is considered a future leader in the making. With solid domestic experience and pressure-handling confidence, the management believes in Parag's ability to manage the duties.

There were also reports of a conflict between Samson and the team administration, but these were swiftly dismissed by head coach Rahul Dravid, who insisted the decision to leave out Samson was solely a matter of fitness and recovery.

So far, there is no word on the number of matches Samson may miss, but he is due to return when fully fit. The Royals are keeping a close eye on his condition, and fans are eagerly awaiting the day when their captain returns to take the reins as the playoff battle heats up.