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Sanju Samson was retired hurt while batting on 31, leaving the Rajasthan Royals searching a contingency plan for their opening combination against the Lucknow Super Giants.
Cheteshwar Pujara wants Riyan Parag to open for RR in Sanju Samson’s absence (Picture credit: AP)
Star India batter Cheteshwar Pujara has said that in case Sanju Samson cannot play the game against the Lucknow Super Giants due to injury issues, Riyan Parag can replace him at the top of the order and open with Yashasvi Jaiswal, as problems mount for the Rajasthan Royals.
Samson sustained a rib injury during the Super Over defeat to the Delhi Capitals and is doubtful for the upcoming clash scheduled for Saturday, April 19, against LSG.
Pujara has said that it should be Riyan at the top, due to his capability to tackle pace bowling.
“I think that Riyan Parag will take the opening slot, because he can fill the vacancy at the top quite well. His batting is really good against the pace bowlers and we have seen that when he comes to bat in at No.3 or No.4, he has taken a while to settle down,” Pujara said while speaking on ESPNCricinfo.
“If he gets a chance to face pace bowling on a good wicket, then RR can get the most out of the powerplay with him and Yashasvi Jaiswal,” Pujara added.
Riyan has shuffled in the middle order in IPL 2025 till now, scoring 173 runs from seven matches at an average of 28.83 and a strike rate of 147.86.
Riyan had captained Rajasthan when Samson was playing as an impact player in the early stages of their campaign.
Rajasthan are tottering in eighth place in the points table after three consecutive defeats in the league stage.
Samson has been rendered doubtful after picking up a side strain as an inconsistent Rajasthan seek to plug holes across departments and halt a three-game losing streak against Lucknow.
Head coach Rahul Dravid said that Samson had ‘experienced a bit of pain in the abdominal area’, following which he had undergone scans.
“Once we get a bit more clarity around the scans and the severity of (the injury), we’ll make a decision going forward and we’ll see what happens,” Dravid said while speaking at the pre-match press conference.
With just two victories from seven matches, the Royals are languishing at eighth place on the table and are coming into the contest on the back of a gut-wrenching Super Over loss to Delhi.
