Royals' Captaincy Surprise: Find Out Who'll Replace Sanju Samson for IPL 2025 Opener

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): Rajasthan Royals (RR) captain Sanju Samson will not be able to play the first three matches of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. Rajasthan will start its IPL 2025 campaign against last edition's finalist Sunrisers Hyderabad on March 23 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad. Riyan Parag will take over the command in Sanju's absence.

Rajasthan Royals captain and wicketkeeper batsman Sanju suffered a finger injury during the T20 match against England. He underwent surgery for it before the Champions Trophy. According to the agency, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has not yet given him a clean chit for wicketkeeping. In the absence of Samson, Riyan Parag will captain the first IPL champion team. He will become the youngest cricketer to captain a franchise in the history of IPL.