Rajasthan Royals can end Riyan Parag experiment as Sanju Samson cleared to lead

Sanju Samson is set to reclaim the Rajasthan Royals captain's armband from Riyan Parag after getting clearance from the National Cricket Academy (NCA). Sanju was not approved to keep wickets in the Royals' first three matches in IPL 2025, which meant he had to be an impact sub.

Sanju had undergone surgery on his right index finger, which was fractured during India's fifth T20I against England in February. Sanju regained fitness ahead of the IPL but could not keep the wickets for the Royals, with Dhruv Jurel deputising. Sanju should be back doing wicketkeeping for the Royals against high-flying Punjab Kings at Mullanpur on April 5.

"Rajasthan Royals captain Sanju Samson has received clearance from the National Cricket Academy (NCA) to resume wicketkeeping duties following a period of recovery," the Royals said in a release. "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."

While Sanju awaited clearance from the NCA, he was excused from fielding for the first three matches, which allowed the Royals to take him off after their innings. That opened a window of opportunity for all-rounder Parag to lead the Royals. Under Parag, the Royals lost the first two matches but managed to win the third one, by 6 runs, against Chennai Super Kings on March 30.

Sanju scored a brilliant 66 against the Sunrisers Hyderabad in their season opener and added 33 runs in the next two matches. The Royals are the only franchise with a constant captain for the fifth year in a row. Sanju was first appointed the RR captain in 2021.