Sanju losing the 'Royal' touch? Injury-hit, beleaguered cricketer fails to make an impact!
In the ongoing IPL match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals, Sanju Samson, who was later pulled off for bringing in Shubham Dubey, failed to make an impact as he was clean bowled by a fierce delivery from Vaibhav Arora in the fourth over of the innings. The wicketkeeper-batter's struggles with form continued, as he departed for a disappointing score.
Stand-in skipper and local boy Riyan Parag also had a brief stay at the crease, dismissed by mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy, caught by Quinton de Kock. After being put into bat by KKR, Rajasthan Royals are currently reeling at 82/5, struggling to post a competitive total.
Samson, who has been struggling with both injury and form in 2025, has been playing as an impact player for Rajasthan Royals, sitting out during their bowling innings. His troubles began earlier in the year during a disappointing series against England, where he managed just 51 runs in five matches. Subsequently, Samson was sidelined for more than two months due to a finger injury, which also prevented him from keeping wicket for RR.
Although Samson scored a half-century against Sunrisers Hyderabad, his performance remained underwhelming, with a strike rate under 180. In today’s match against Kolkata Knight Riders, he once again had an opportunity to regain some form but failed, departing for just 13 runs off 11 balls. His shot selection was questionable, and despite hitting a couple of boundaries, he never seemed in control. Ultimately, it was a delivery from Arora that cleaned up his stumps, leaving the RR batter once again searching for answers.
Samson’s ongoing form slump continues to be a major concern for Rajasthan Royals as they struggle to find stability in their batting line-up.