Strongest Rajasthan Royals 11 For IPL 2025: Late yesterday evening, shocking news broke as the Rajasthan Royals announced that Sanju Samson will play the first three matches of the season as only a batter. This means he will not be the wicketkeeper, and more importantly, not captain the side. Riyan Parag has instead been picked as the skipper.
Sanju, who has been the RR skipper for a few seasons now, fractured a finger in the fifth T20I against England earlier this year in Mumbai. It was his Royals teammate Jofra Archer who bowled the bouncer that broke Samson’s finger.
While the 30-year-old underwent surgery, treatment, and recovery at BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, and is fit enough to play in IPL 2025, Sanju will not be wicketkeeping or captaining in the first three matches of the season. However, he will play those matches and has arrived at the team camp in Jaipur on March 18.
As far as captaincy is concerned, Samson will be replaced by Riyan Parag. Parag, who played for India in the 2018 U-19 World Cup, has been backed by the Royals for seasons. Finally, in IPL 2024, he showed what the all-rounder is truly capable of, scoring 573 runs in 16 matches at an average of 52.09, a strike rate of 149.21, and finished third in the Orange Cap race.
While his being India, young, and a prominent part of the squad were the main reasons for Riyan, retained for Rs. 14 crores, to be picked as captain, another reason might be Rajasthan Royals’ first two home games, which will be played in Guwahati, Assam’s Barsapara Stadium, in Parag’s hometown and homeground. The two matches in the BArsapara will be the RR’s second and third matches and will be played under the leadership of the 23-year-old.
Now we come to wicketkeeping, the spot that might have brought in the biggest chance in the RR playing XI in the first three matches. With Sanju Samson being the team’s primary wicketkeeper, bringing in another keeper might have been challenging. However, the team’s No. 1 wicketkeeper is part of the probable playing XI as well. Dhruv Jurel, retained for Rs. 14 crore, had even kept wickets for the Indian Cricket Team in Test cricket.
With all that in mind, this is RR’s strongest probable PLaying XI in the first three matches, and beyond, in IPL 2025.
Strongest Rajasthan Royals 11 For IPL 2025
Top Order
- Sanju Samson (Captain and wicketkeeper after first three matches)
- Yashasvi Jaiswal
- Nitish Rana
Middle Order
- Riyan Parag (C)
- Dhruv Jurel (wk)
- Shimron Hetmayer
- Shubham Dubey
Bowling
- Wanindu Hasaranga
- Jofra Archer
- Maheesh Theekshana
- Sandeep Sharma
Impact Player Options
Tushar Deshpande, Kumar Kartikeya, Akash Madhwal, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Yudhvir Singh
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