Riyan Parag has expressed his thoughts regarding Sanju Samson’s departure from the Rajasthan Royals ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 season. The wicketkeeper-batsman will be playing for the Chennai Super Kings in the upcoming season.
A month ago, Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings made a trade deal which saw Sanju Samson going to the Chennai-based franchise in the deal with all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran. The trade deal marked the end of Samson’s long association with the IPL winners of the inaugural season.
Samson was with the Royals for 11 seasons. He got his IPL ticket in 2013 with the Royals and stayed with them until 2015, which was when the club was suspended for two years. When the team returned in 2018, he rejoined it. He had been with the same franchise ever since. He was also captaining the Royals since 2021.
Riyan Parag on the Exit of Sanjuu Samson:
Samson was a constant in the Royals’ locker room from the time Riyan Parag had signed up with the franchise. Riyan Parag got his IPL debut with the Royals in 2019 and he has been sharing the dressing room with Samson since.
The Assam star could not have surprised us more when he stated that he did not want to dwell on Samson’s exit for the simple reason that it would make him really sad. He also shared how much of a treat he has had with former Royals captain, and how close he was to him.
“Sanju has been the main person behind my success in cricket. I don’t want to imagine him leaving because it will make me feel bad – I was very much attached to him and when I joined the team, he always treated me as if I were not just a 17-18 years old kid from Assam.
“Maybe it was also due to the fact that he had a similar background and was also coming from Kerala as a young player of 16-18 years, a place where not many cricketers are born – He has taught me a lot and also showered me with love,” Riyan Parag further shared.
With Samson’s exit, Royals will be making a new captain announcement before IPL 2026. Reports indicate that Parag is among the top candidates to inherit the throne. Parag has turned out to be one of the most crucial players for the Royals in the last few seasons and could the responsibility of the team’s direction be put on him?
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