"He has been the most influential captain in IPL 2022" - Parthiv Patel praises Sanju Samson for his leadership in IPL 2022  

Former India wicket-keeper Parthiv Patel has named Sanju Samson as the most influential captain of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022. The 27-year-old has led the Rajasthan Royals (RR) to their first playoff finish since 2018 after finishing second in the IPL points table.

Samson was named the franchise captain following the release of Steve Smith in 2021. The Kerala-born batter endured a rough first captain at the helm after finishing seventh in the IPL 2021. A fresh squad following the mega auction was the perfect catalyst for Samson as he led the inaugural winners to nine wins in the ongoing tournament.

Praising Samson for his calmness on the field and astute decision-making, Patel said:

"Samson has been the most influential captain in IPL 2022. He has looked calm this season, there was a lot of surety in his decision-making. Samson has improved a lot when it comes to his captaincy."

The wicket-keeper batter will play his first playoff contest as captain against the Gujarat Titans (GT) at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Tuesday, May 24.

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"Boult will be very happy with the pitch being under covers" - Parthiv Patel

The surface at Eden Gardens is currently under cover following bouts of rain in the state capital. The match could face interruptions in the form of showers, leading to a shortened contest or even a super-over, if the disruptions do not cease.

Opining that Trent Boult will benefit from the moisture on the surface under covers, Patel said:

"Boult will be very happy with the pitch being under covers. Even if the pitch is not damp, the weather will be humid, and that will favor swing. He will hope that it does not rain too much, but the weather remains humid."

The New Zealand pacer's impact in the tournament gradually decreased with the pitches ageing in Maharashtra. He could be bestowed with a breath of fresh air at Eden Gardens, which has something in it for the pacers early on.

Opining that RR should go with an unchanged playing XI for Qualifier 1, former Indian batter Virender Sehwag said during the same interaction as Patel:

"I don't any change is required for RR. Jaiswal is batting really well since making his way back into the playing XI. The batting looks deeper now, Ashwin is also playing well, which is a plus point for them. The bowling is also well-rounded. If there is something in the wicket, then Kuldeep Sen could be considered, otherwise don't see any change. "

RR went with a solitary change in the last contest, bringing in the returning Shimron Hetmyer for Jimmy Neesham.