Courtesy: BCCI/IPL
After a 10-day hiatus, the remainder of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 resumed on Saturday, May 17. However, the start wasn’t the one which was expected as the match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) was called off without toss due to incesstant rain.
However, fans will hope full-fledged return of the tournament on Sunday, May 18 with two matches scheduled in the day. In the scorching heat of Jaipur, the Rajasthan Royals will host the Punjab Kings (PBKS) at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in the afternoon fixture. But ahead of the match, the Royals have been boosted by the return of their regular skipper, Sanju Samson.
Sanju Samson to return at helm for RR’s final home fixture in IPL 2025
Speaking on the eve of the match, the India wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson revealed that he has passed the fitness and will be available for the upcoming game agaonst Punjab Kings. “I passed my fitness test, so I’m available for the game,” he said at the pre-match press conference.
“Yeah, I think 'frustrating' is definitely the right word. It's been very difficult and challenging to watch the games from the dugout. I missed out on a lot of crucial matches, which made it even tougher. Mentally, it was hard to see the team losing and not be able to contribute on the field. But these things are part of a cricketing career. I'm trying to take it in my stride and focus on the positives,” he further added.
Rajasthan Royals’ updated squad for IPL 2025
Sanju Samson (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Shimron Hetmyer, Jofra Archer, Wainindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Akash Madhwal, Kumar Kartikeya Singh, Tushar Deshpande, Shubham Dubey, Yudhvir Charak, Fazal Farooqi, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Kwena Maphaka, Kunal Rathore, Ashok Sharma, Nandre Burger, Lhuan-dre Pretorius
