Ryan Parag has shared his thoughts on Sanju Samson leaving Rajasthan Royals ahead of the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The wicketkeeper-batsman will play for Chennai Super Kings in the upcoming season.
Last month, Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings had inked a trade deal that saw Sanju Samson join the Chennai-based team in exchange for all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran. The trade deal ended Samson’s long-term association with the inaugural IPL winners.
Samson has played 11 seasons for Rajasthan Royals. He made his IPL debut with the Royals in 2013 and played for them until 2015 before being suspended for two years. After his return, Samson rejoined the team in 2018. Since then he was with this franchise. Samson was also leading the Royals from 2021.
Also Read: RCB, MI and CSK embarrassed when Google reveals most searched IPL teams in 2025.
Riyan Parag on Sanju Samson’s departure:
Samson has been a constant presence in the Royals dressing room ever since Riyan Parag signed for the franchise. Riyan Parag made his IPL debut for the Royals in 2019 and has shared the dressing room with Samson since then.
Unsurprisingly, the Assam star said that he doesn’t want to think about Samson leaving as it would make him feel bad. Parag spoke openly about Samson’s contribution to his career and also said that he was very close to the former Royals captain.
“Sanju bhai has played a huge role in my career. I don’t want to think about him leaving because if I do, I will feel bad – I was very close to him and when I first joined the team, he never made me feel like I was just a 17-18-year-old kid from Assam.
“Maybe it was also because he had a similar background and he came as a 16-18-year-old young player from Kerala, a place where not many cricketers emerge from – he taught me a lot and gave me a lot of love,” Riyan Parag added.
After Samson’s departure, the Royals will announce a new captain before IPL 2026. According to reports, Parag is the frontrunner to take the captaincy. Parag has emerged as one of the most important players for the Royals in recent seasons and may be given the responsibility of leading the team.
