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In a recent statement, former Indian pacer and Rajasthan Royals star, S Sreesanth has suggested that the RR should consider appointing Jos Buttler as their new captain for the upcoming season of IPL, replacing Sanju Samson. Highlighting Samson's inconsistent performance with the bat in the Indian Premier League (IPL), Sreesanth believes that Buttler, who successfully led England to the T20 World Cup victory, would be a more suitable choice for the leadership role.
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Despite Samson leading the RR to a runner-up finish in IPL 2022 and securing a fifth place in 2023 with an equal number of wins and losses in 14 matches, Sreesanth feels that a change in captaincy could bolster the team's prospects. He emphasizes the need for RR to explore new leadership options to enhance their performance in future IPL seasons.
“According to me, Rajasthan Royals need to change their system. When I played for Rajasthan Royals, they had complete management. Rahul [Dravid] bhai was the captain. He had a very clear vision, and tactics. He was one of the best captains I have played with,” Sreesanth told Sportskeeda.
“Sanju being captain, first of all, he has to take leadership very seriously or make Buttler the captain. At least, Buttler has won a World Cup. Yes, he can do well, but [RR need] someone else who can actually be consistent. You need a captain like Rohit who has the intensity and the consistency or somebody who is consistently winning the matches for the team,” he said.
“As a captain, you need someone who will win matches for you, if not every match, every three-four games. IPL is a big tournament. There are lots of matches, but you can’t rely on somebody who comes out once in a blue moon and scores run,” Sreesanth further added.
Samson has had a varied performance as RR leader. In his tenure as captain, he has guided the team through 45 matches, securing 22 wins and facing 23 defeats. Making his IPL debut back in 2013, the 29-year-old wicketkeeper-batter has been a prominent figure in the league, participating in 152 matches and accumulating 3888 runs at an average of 29.23. His impressive strike rate stands at 137.19, including three centuries and 20 half-centuries. Samson demonstrated his batting prowess by scoring 484 runs in 14 matches during the 2021 season and 458 runs in 17 games in the 2022 season. In the IPL 2023, he managed to score 362 runs in 14 matches, maintaining an average of 30.17 and a notable strike rate of 153.39. Since taking over the full-time captaincy of RR in 2020, after the release of Ajinkya Rahane, Samson has shown commendable leadership skills. Despite his solid leadership, it's evident that his recent batting form hasn't been as successful as expected.
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