“Sanju Samson is this team’s life” – Ajay Jadeja on Rajasthan Royals’ potential retentions ahead of IPL 2025 auction

Former Indian batter Ajay Jadeja reckons Rajasthan Royals’ captain Sanju Samson is team’s life and he will be on the top list for the franchise as far as retention is concerned. Every IPL team can retain a maximum of six players through retention or Right to Match.

Samson scored 531 runs in 15 innings at an average of 48.27 and a strike rate of 153.46, with five half-centuries in IPL 2024. Thus, he played a key role in taking RR to the playoffs but they lost the second qualifier against SRH.

Meanwhile, former Indian head coach Rahul Dravid has joined Rajasthan Royals as the team’s chief coach, who had backed Samson since he was a teenager.

Ajay Jadeja named Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sanju Samson as the certain players, who will be retained before the auction. Jaiswal scored 435 runs in 15 innings of IPL 2024 at an average of 31.07 and a strike rate of 155.91.

“There shouldn’t be too much change there (in RR). Sanju Samson is this team’s life, there is no doubt about that. You won’t want to leave Jaiswal. So these two are absolutely certain for me,” Jadeja said on Colors Cineplex.

Jadeja added that the inaugural champions should retain Ravichandran Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal whereas Jos Buttler should be backed as an overseas retention.

“How can you leave Ravichandran Ashwin? He has shown a revival in his career as well if you see the last three-year cycle. So I won’t leave him as well. I didn’t understand how RCB left Chahal. I am going with players, not about the amount at the moment. You won’t want to leave these four but Jos Buttler is also another player,” Jadeja observed.

On the other hand, the former Indian middle order batter said he won’t take Riyan Parag’s name in the first five retentions for RR. 

“Riyan Parag, pardon me, he shouldn’t get angry. I won’t take his name in the first five, although he is this team’s No. 1 today and for the future. However, if you are keeping only four, I will go towards them (Samson, Jaiswal, Ashwin and Chahal), which they won’t do. There is no doubt that they will go towards Riyan Parag because he has also been an integral part of their team,” he responded.

“He has been prepared as a player here. When that emotion comes, you look differently, that someone has become old and might not last three years, and can be picked in the auction, but according to me, just like we say Jasprit Bumrah is rare, similarly if Ravichandran Ashwin is not in the mood where he wants to bowl everything, the way he bowls and bats regularly, and the intelligence he has, he is next to Jasprit Bumrah for me,” Jadeja explained.

Parag had a breakthrough season for RR in IPL 2024, scoring 573 runs in 14 innings at an average of 52.09 and a strike rate of 149.21.