Sanju Samson shares his captaincy philosophy ahead of IPL 2025: “The groundwork starts in the 7-10 days of preparation before the tournament.”

Sanju Samson, captain of the Rajasthan Royals (RR), will try to snap the team’s protracted quest for a second Indian Premier League (IPL) championship when the 18th edition of the 10-team competition kicks off on Saturday, March 22.

Sanju Samson stated in a recent interview that the three seasons following the 2022 super auction were among the Royals’ strongest IPL cycles.

The original champions lost in Qualifier 2 last year, advanced to the IPL 2022 finals, and placed fifth in the IPL 2023.

The wicketkeeper for Kerala is aware that several of their former players were forced to leave the Royals in the 2025 mega auction. On the other hand, he aims to use the pre-season camp to foster a sense of camaraderie with the newly recruited players.

“With the highest winning % and some of the best players Rajasthan Royals have ever had, we’ve enjoyed one of the best IPL cycles in the last three seasons. It felt like family because we had all the world’s biggest stars. However, you must then let go of that family and start a new one in accordance with IPL regulations. That’s where we are at the moment. Speaking exclusively on Superstars on JioHotstar, Samson stated, “We’ve brought in some interesting players, from a 13-year-old to a 35-year-old, creating a mix of youth and experience in the squad.”

Meeting new people, forming connections, and getting to know the individuals behind the performances are all aspects of this endeavor that personally fascinate me. The true fun is found there. The seven to ten days of preparation that before the IPL are when the work starts. In order to foster that camaraderie, I make an effort to spend as much time as possible outside of my room conversing with my coaches and players. After that, we set out on the adventure as a group. That’s the fun part of being a captain,” he continued.

On Sunday, March 23, the Royals play Sunrisers Hyderabad in the afternoon at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad to kick off their IPL 2025 campaign.