“Can’t rely on somebody who comes out once in a blue moon and scores runs” - S Sreesanth wants Sanju Samson replaced as Rajasthan Royals captain

Former India fast bowler S Sreesanth has opined that Rajasthan Royals (RR) must replace Sanju Samson as captain. According to Sreesanth, Samson has not been consistent enough with the bat in the Indian Premier League (IPL); he believes someone like Jos Buttler would be a better option as leader.

Under Samson’s leadership, Rajasthan Royals finished runners-up in PL 2022, going down to Gujarat Titans (GT) in the final. They ended in fifth position in the 2023 season, winning seven and losing seven of their 14 league-stage matches.

Speaking to Sportskeeda, Sreesanth said the time has come for Rajasthan Royals to look beyond Samson as captain.

“According to me, Rajasthan Royals need to change their system. When I played for Rajasthan Royals, they had a complete management. Rahul [Dravid] bhai was the captain. He had a very clear vision, tactics. He was one of the best captains I have played with,” the former pacer said.

Questioning Samson’s ability as a leader and his consistency as a match-winner with the bat, the 40-year-old added:

“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.

“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 runs."

Samson, 29, has a mixed record as Rajasthan Royals captain. He has led the franchise in 45 matches, winning 22 of those games and losing 23.

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Sanju Samson’s batting performance in the IPL

Having made his IPL debut in the 2013 season, Samson has played 152 matches and scored 3888 runs at an average of 29.23 and a strike rate of 137.19. He has three hundreds and 20 fifties to his name.

The aggressive batter smashed 484 runs in 14 matches in the 2021 season and 458 runs in 17 games in the 2022 edition. In IPL 2023, he totaled 362 runs in 14 matches at an average of 30.17 and a strike rate of 153.39.