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Rajasthan Royals head coach Rahul Dravid has strongly denied any tension between him and team captain Sanju Samson.
Speaking ahead of their IPL 2025 fixture against the Lucknow Super Giants, Dravid dismissed recent reports hinting at a fallout within the franchise as completely unfounded.
No Divide in the Royals Camp, Says Dravid
The speculation began when a video surfaced showing Samson absent from a team huddle. The clip, where Dravid was seen interacting with support staff and a few players, sparked rumors of a possible internal issue — even raising questions about Samson’s future as captain.
“I don’t know where these reports are coming from. Sanju and I are on the same page,” said Dravid.
He reiterated the captain’s key role within the setup.
“He’s a very integral part of our team. He’s involved in each and every decision and discussion. Sometimes, when you lose games and things don’t go right, you face criticism and we can take it on our performances, but we can’t do anything about this baseless stuff. The spirit of the team is really good, I’m impressed with how hard these guys work. One of the things people don’t understand is how hurt the players feel when they don’t perform,” the coach added.
Samson’s Fitness Clouded Ahead of Crucial Clash
Amid the controversy, RR also face concerns over Samson’s fitness.
The skipper was forced to retire hurt during the match against Delhi Capitals after scoring a quick 31 off 19 balls. The injury occurred when he appeared to strain his side trying to play a cut shot off Vipraj Nigam.
Although he stayed for the next delivery, Samson soon opted to walk off. The closely contested game later ended in a Super Over, which RR eventually lost.
Scan Results to Determine Availability
Dravid confirmed that Samson underwent scans following the injury and the franchise is waiting on the reports.
“Sanju experienced a bit of pain in the abdominal area. So we have gone for scans. He has done some scans today so we are waiting the results of those scans. And then once we get a bit more clarity around the scans and the severity of (the injury) we’ll take a decision going forward and we’ll see what happens,” Dravid said during the press conference on Friday.
As Rajasthan Royals continue to push for a playoff spot, they’ll hope their skipper is cleared for action — and that the off-field noise doesn’t distract from their campaign.
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