Sanju Samson, the Rajasthan Royals captain, revealed on Thursday, March 20, that he will not lead the former champions in the first three games of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2025). Samson stated that Riyan Parag will serve as the stand-in captain for the three games.

However, the Rajasthan Royals have announced that Sanju Samson will play those games as a pure batter. Samson, who had a finger injury earlier this season, says he has not entirely recovered.

"I am not completely fit for the next three games. There are lot of leaders in this group. In the last few years, some great people have taken care of this environment really nicely. For the next three games, Riyan will lead the team," Sanju Samson said in a video from RR.

"He is capable of doing it. I expect everyone to support him and be with him," he added.

Samson broke his index finger on his right hand during a Jofra Archer delivery. He had surgery to address the injuries and worked on his recovery at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.

On March 18, Samson arrived at the Rajasthan Royals camp in Jaipur, where he reunited with recently appointed head coach Rahul Dravid.

However, Rajasthan's major move ahead of the IPL 2025 opener is a cautious step. Dhruv Jurel is Rajasthan's wicketkeeper.

In the IPL 2024, Riyan Parag scored 573 runs in 16 matches at a strike rate close to 150. This was the first time Riyan had scored more than 200 runs in an IPL season.

Riyan Parag is also preparing for the IPL 2025 season after recuperating from a shoulder injury that kept him out of the T20I series against South Africa last year and England earlier this year.