We have much younger side, but lots of positives about it: RR captain Sanju Samson

Jaipur, April 12: Just when Rajasthan Royals (RR) seemed to be picking up form with two wins last week, they suffered a heavy 58-run loss to Gujarat Titans (GT) on Wednesday, once again highlighting some weaknesses in both their batting and bowling departments. The team has a younger look this season, especially in the batting line-up, but skipper Sanju Samson believes the players are experienced enough to deliver, as per ESPNcricinfo.

"It's a good question to start with," Samson told reporters, as quoted from ESPNcricinfo.

"I feel yes, this time we have a much younger side but there are lots of positives about it," he added.

"I think they look very young on the age front, but if you look at their match experience, I think most of them have played lot of international cricket and they have played reasonable amount of IPL also. I don't think they are young in cricketing aspect," he said.

He continues to back young talents like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel, Riyan Parag, and Shubham Dubey, hoping they'll step up in the remaining matches. Samson also mentioned that with the squad looking different this year, he's had to adapt his own playing role, which is not the same as his role in India's T20I team. He added that Rahul Dravid is the ideal coach for helping these youngsters grow.

"But as you said my role definitely has changed," Samson said, as quoted from ESPNcricinfo.

"It definitely changes in every team you play. When I play for the India team we are batting deep and we are expected to go hard from ball one, but here our team combination is such where we need to actually play a different kind of role," he added.

"I think I am experienced enough to do that as well. And I think I am also experienced enough to take care of a young unit also. So I think we are definitely in the right hands with Rahul sir being there," he noted.

Samson didn't shy away from the possibility of making bold decisions, including changing the team combination if needed. He said the players on the bench are capable of stepping in if form or team balance demands it.

"We have taken them to give them a chance," Samson noted.

"Eventually the franchise owner wants to build a team which can win the trophy. They want you eventually to be the champion. Whether you play juniors, inexperienced players, experienced players. So definitely we play to win. No matter how big or small the players are, definitely they all are in the team to win every game we play. And that's what we want to do," he added.

"I think we have gone past the starting stage of the tournament. Now I think it's the business end. And we need to actually win most number of games. And that will happen if we keep believing in ourselves and keep doing what we are known to do," he said.

He also confirmed that wrist-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga, who had gone back home for personal reasons, has rejoined the squad and will be available to play against his former team Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on Sunday. Lastly, Samson acknowledged that the team must finish their overs faster to avoid being penalized again for slow over-rates.

"We played four fast bowlers in the last match. It's a bit challenging for us, but we will bowl as fast as we can," he said.

Reader Comments

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Ankit S.

Love Samson's leadership approach! Backing young players while being honest about challenges is exactly what RR needs. That Jaiswal-Parag middle order could be 🔥 if they find consistency!

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Priya M.

Respectfully disagree about the "experienced enough" part. The batting collapse against GT showed they still struggle under pressure. Maybe need 1-2 more senior players to guide them in tough situations?

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Rahul K.

Hasaranga's return is huge! Our bowling attack looked toothless without him. Hope he's match-ready for RCB - would love to see him against his old team 😈

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Shweta T.

Samson adapting his batting role shows real maturity. Not many captains would sacrifice their natural game for team balance. Hope the youngsters learn from this selfless approach!

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Vikram J.

That slow over-rate issue is concerning. Four fast bowlers is aggressive but can't keep giving away runs in penalties. Maybe play Ashwin more? #HallaBol

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Neha P.

So refreshing to hear a captain speak so openly about team strategy! The transparency about player roles and bench strength gives fans real insight. Win or lose, this honesty is 👌

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.