Sanju Samson seeks CoE's clearance to resume wicketkeeping

Rajasthan Royals (RR) full-time captain and wicket-keeper Sanju Samson has traveled to the BCCI's Centre of Excellence (CoE) to seek full clearance for wicket-keeping in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season. The wicketkeeper-batter flew from Guwahati to Bengaluru today, following RR’s victory over Chennai Super Kings (CSK), to undergo testing and secure approval from the CoE managers.

The RR skipper had previously undergone surgery on his right index finger and was granted only partial permission to play in the IPL 2025 season. While he has been participating as a specialist batter, he now aims to receive clearance from the Sport Science wing to resume full duties, including wicket-keeping.

“He will seek clearance to do so for the remaining games and is expected to be back as skipper from the RR's next match, which is nearly a week away," said a source as quoted by Cricbuzz.

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In Samson’s absence, Riyan Parag has been leading the team, while Dhruv Jurel has taken over wicket-keeping responsibilities. The Kerala cricketer, playing solely as a batter, registered a half-century (66) against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in a losing cause on Sunday, March 23. In the team's second match against KKR, Samson could not get going as he scored just 13 runs. In the latest match against CSK, though he started well he could not go past the 20-run mark.

After a shaky start to their campaign with two consecutive defeats, RR secured their first win of the season against CSK in Guwahati.

"Took a lot of time, just two games, but felt really long. We still think we were 20 short. We lost a couple of wickets quickly (in the middle overs). But we bowled really well. We have had two tough games, but the chat was to forget those games, come with a fresh mindset and have a good game collectively," said Parag after the win.

RR are set to face Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Mullanpur next, on Saturday, April 5.