Sanju Samson to Lead Rajasthan Royals Against Punjab Kings on April 5 – IPL 2025

Sanju Samson is back in charge at Rajasthan Royals. After missing the first three matches of IPL 2025 as captain due to a lingering finger injury, Samson has been cleared by the National Cricket Academy (NCA) to resume full duties – including wicketkeeping.

That means interim skipper Riyan Parag’s brief stint leading the side has officially come to an end, and Samson will take over again when RR face Punjab Kings in Mullanpur on Saturday. Samson was originally sidelined due to the injury he picked up during India’s T20I series against England earlier this year. While he was fit enough to bat, he wasn’t yet cleared to keep wickets, so RR made Parag the stand-in captain for the first three games. Samson still played as an Impact Player, contributing with the bat, while Dhruv Jurel took over behind the stumps. 

Rajasthan haven’t had the best start to the season, winning just one of their first three matches, and they now sit ninth on the points table. Samson kicked things off in style with a brilliant 66-run knock in the opener against Sunrisers Hyderabad, but his team ended up losing by 44 runs. His next two outings against KKR and CSK were more subdued, scoring 20 and 13, respectively, bringing his total tally to 99 runs so far. Following RR’s win against CSK, Samson traveled to the Centre of Excellence (CoE) for final fitness tests. He passed the fitness test on April 1, earning his clearance to keep wickets again. Now, he’s set to reunite with the squad in Mullanpur ahead of their clash with Punjab Kings, who currently sit second in the standings. 

In an official statement, Rajasthan Royals confirmed the news, saying, "Rajasthan Royals captain Sanju Samson has received clearance from the National Cricket Academy (NCA) to resume wicketkeeping duties following a period of recovery. The clearance comes after a thorough assessment of his fitness by the NCA medical team. With this positive development, Samson will return to his full leadership role and resume captaincy from the team's next match against the Punjab Kings. The franchise is encouraged by Samson's progress and looks forward to having him back in action behind the stumps and leading the side." With Samson back in charge and behind the stumps, RR will be hoping for a turnaround in fortunes as they look to climb the IPL standings.