Sanju Samson, then a skinny 14-year-old, curled on the bed in his hotel room, watched Kolkata Knight Riders' Brendon McCullum hammering a 73-ball 158 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the first-ever IPL match.
The Royals' pace coach threw his full support behind a resurgent Jofra Archer, praised the squad's fighting spirit, and made it clear - wearing the RR badge still means playing with pride, passion, and purpose.
Openers Phil Salt and Virat Kohli will brace for a fiery showdown against thunderbolts from express pacer Jofra Archer as Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bengaluru look to get back to winning ways in the IPL match in Jaipur on Sunday.
More than the numbers, it was the swagger. The intent. The ease with which he handled the pressure. Vaibhav didn't look like a passenger in the IPL -- he looked like he belonged.
Royal Challengers Bangalore will aim to turn their fortunes around at home when they face a struggling Rajasthan Royals on Thursday in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
On Thursday, opener Suryavanshi was out for a duck, while young Jaiswal too could not make an impact, scoring just 13 runs as RR were all out for 117 at their home ground, chasing Mumbai Indians' 217/2.
The Gujarat Titans and Rajasthan Royals will hope their struggling bowling units can find their form on an Ahmedabad pitch that has produced high scores in the last four matches.
Rajasthan Royals skipper Sanju Samson's calm demeanour and ability to read the game make him seem like a younger version of the great Mahendra Singh Dhoni, said former spinner Graeme Swann.
... hit five 50-plus scores in a row at a particular venue.
Images from the 3rd ODI between India and South Africa at the Boland Park Stadium in Paarl on Thursday.
Sunrisers Hyderabad buried Rajasthan Royals under a deluge of runs to start its IPL 2025 campaign in thumping fashion with a 44-run win in Hyderabad on Sunday.
Images from the IPL 2025 match between Punjab Kings and Rajasthan Royals in Mullanpur on Saturday
Riding high on their new-found confidence, defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders will be hoping to finally get it right at home and keep their play-off hopes alive when they take on a struggling Rajasthan Royals in their IPL match in Kolkata on Sunday.
The contest between laggards Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals holds no significance in the context of the IPL 2025 play-offs.
Sanju Samson showed utmost respect to the legendary Mahendra Singh Dhoni when the two wicket-keepers caught up during their teams's practice sessions.
IPL 2025 recap: From Kohli and RCB conquering final frontier to decline of champions
The spotlight was firmly on the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai as captains from all ten IPL franchises gathered for the official pre-season meet ahead of IPL 2025 on Thursday.
On Sunday, he did well to kill the notion that left arm spinners are not effective against left arm batters as he clearly took out the Rajasthan southpaws for his first two wickets.
While the SRH batters turned the game into a six-hitting spectacle, it was a little figure in the stands who quietly stole hearts --Heinrich Klaasen's two-year-old daughter Laya.
Shastri drew a parallel between Samson and Rohit Sharma, highlighting the importance of Samson realising his full potential.
273 runs to his name, he has surged to the second position in the Orange Cap race and also became the first Indian to cross the 200-run mark in IPL 2025.
England secured a 26-run victory over India in the third T20I in Rajkot on Tuesday to stay alive in the five-match series.
IMAGES from the IPL match between Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on Sunday
Jitesh Sharma's presence in the 15-member squad for Ireland T20s puts Sanju Samson's place in the Indian team under scanner.
Whose Catch Was Better? De Kock's Or Russell's? Vote!
Samson could lose out as he decided to skip the Vijay Hazare Trophy.
Samson smashed his way to a brilliant 55 from 27 balls, including three fours and five sixes.
Sanju Samson, a strong contender for the US and Caribbean tour, faces competition due to his usual batting position at No. 3 for Rajasthan Royals.
The common theme in their opening game defeats was how the seemingly powerful batting and bowling units of KKR and RR failed to fire.
The common theme in those defeats was how the seemingly powerful batting and bowling units of KKR and RR failed to fire.
The series already in their pocket, India will look to address their batting woes against an England team gunning for revenge after feeling hard-done by a debatable concussion substitute when the two teams clash in the fifth and final T20 International in Mumbai on Sunday.
Delhi Capitals are still in the race for the play-off along with Mumbai Indians and Lucknow Super Giants.
Vaibhav Suryavanshi became the youngest player to feature in the IPL as he turned out for Rajasthan Royals against Lucknow Super Giants in Jaipur.
Chennai Super Kings might feel more 'at home' against an equally clueless Rajasthan Royals on a slow turner expected to be on offer in their next IPL game in Guwahati.
IMAGES from the Indian Premier League match played between Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings in New Delhi, on Tuesday.
Suryakumar expressed excitement over Shami's return.
Sanju was excluded from Kerala's squad after he informed the Kerala Cricket Association of his unavailability for the preparatory camp before the tournament.
When the umpires conducted the routine check on Parag's bat, it was found to be non-compliant. As a result, he was asked to switch to a different bat before resuming his innings.
With just two wins from eight outings, Rajasthan find themselves languishing in eighth place on the points table.
IMAGES from the IPL match between Delhi Capitals and Rajasthan Royals played in New Delhi on Wednesday.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances