Former India head coach Rahul Dravid, now mentoring the Rajasthan Royals, provided a crucial update on skipper Sanju Samson’s injury status ahead of their clash against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). Samson, nursing an abdominal niggle, has been deemed unfit by the franchise’s medical team and will miss Thursday’s game.

He had also missed the previous match against Lucknow Super Giants, where his absence was offset by a stellar innings from youngster Vaibhav Suryavanshi. However, despite individual performances, Rajasthan’s campaign has taken a nosedive in recent weeks.

Dravid, speaking during the pre-match press conference, confirmed that Sanju Samson picked up the injury during the game against Delhi Capitals and hasn’t recovered enough to travel or take the field.

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“Sanju picked up a bit of a side issue in the Delhi game. He couldn’t play the last match, and he’s not fit for this one either. Our medical team advised against flying him in,” Rahul Dravid said. “We’ve kept the physio back in Jaipur to treat him and speed up his recovery process.”

While fans are eager for Sanju Samson’s return, Rahul Dravid refrained from giving a definite timeline. “I can’t put a date on it. We play again on April 27 and then have a few quick games, followed by a gap. We’ll assess things as they progress.”

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With just two wins from eight matches and sitting at eighth on the table with a net run rate of -0.63, the Royals desperately need a turnaround. And with RCB faltering at home this season, Thursday’s game presents a golden opportunity for Rajasthan to inject life into their IPL 2025 campaign. But without their captain and one of their most consistent batters, the pressure is on the rest of the squad to rise to the occasion and deliver a much-needed victory.