Reports: Rajasthan Royals retain Sanju Samson as skipper for IPL 2022

Rajasthan Royals (RR) have retained Sanju Samson as their skipper for the 2022 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). As per reports, he has agreed to a contract worth INR 14 crores after being the first player RR have retained for the upcoming season of the cash-rich tournament.

The Royals named Samson as their captain for the 2021 IPL after Steve Smith moved to the Delhi Capitals, now led by Rishabh Pant. If reports are to be believed, the Royals had kept Samson at the top in the list of players they wanted to retain before the retention window closes on November 30.

England wicketkeeper-batter Jos Buttler, Brits’ right arm speedster Jofra Archer, young Indian batter Yashasvi Jaiswal and Three Lions’ all-rounder Liam Livingstone are the other frontrunners for the retentions, ESPNcricinfo reported. The Royals picked Samson in the 2018 IPL at a price of INR 8 crores.

Sanju Samson performing well in IPL 2021

In 2021, Samson had an incredible campaign as a batter. The right-hander scored 484 runs at an average of 40.33 and a strike rate of 136.72. Along with two half-centuries to show for his efforts, Samson also racked up his top score of 119 against the Punjab Kings, captained by KL Rahul.

However, his team flattered to deceive as the Royals failed to qualify for the playoffs. Samson and Co. won five out of 14 matches and finished seventh on the points table with a net run rate of -0.993. Apart from Samson, the Royals have also spent plenty on Buttler, Archer and Ben Stokes.

All three players missed the second leg of the IPL in the United Arab Emirates. Archer has been with the team since the 2018 edition, but he missed the previous season due to injury. He also won the Player of the Tournament award in 2020 when the Royals couldn’t go beyond the first round.

There’s also no confirmation on RR retaining Stokes, who had taken an indefinite break from cricket to address his mental health issues. As far as Samson is concerned, INR 16 crores will be debited off the Royals’ account instead of INR 14 crores since he’s the first of the four players the team has retained.