Rajasthan Royals are heading into a new season without the player many associated most closely with the team. Sanju Samson’s move to Chennai Super Kings has left a gap that goes beyond his runs and appearances.
South Africa's former captain Faf du Plessis said Samson had become the face of the franchise.
"If I look at the IPL and the iconic teams we see around the league, all of them have one marquee Indian player in common - someone who has been the face of the franchise for a period of time, (such as) Rohit Sharma, MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli. Sanju Samson, for me, was that guy at Rajasthan Royals," du Plessis told JioHotstar.
"Yes, he's of a newer generation, but he had become the face of that franchise. If I think of Rajasthan Royals, I think Sanju Samson. So, the fact that they've lost that face is a massive thing for the fans, for the IPL, and for the tournament, because he's played such a big role there," added du Plessis.
Sanju Samson spent 11 seasons with the Royals across two stints and remains their most-capped player and leading run-scorer. His trade also brings Ravindra Jadeja into the Royals setup.
The change puts more focus on Yashasvi Jaiswal, who earlier played alongside Samson at the top.
"The thing with Yashasvi Jaiswal is that he's had Sanju Samson, who has been such a huge, consistent performer within that batting line-up. When you have that consistency of runs from Sanju, it allows you to play your game," du Plessis said. "Now, you take that away, all of a sudden, people will look at him with more responsibility. For a player like him, you don't want him thinking about responsibility. You want him thinking, 'I want to take the game on. I want to hit as many sixes as possible'."
"There's a learning curve that's going to come into his career this season, 'Am I true to the game that I've always played, or do I take up the senior player role to score the bulk of the runs?' So it'll be interesting to see how that goes. I think he'll still play in the way that he does. It would be silly not to, because he's such an attacking player," he said.
The Royals have also made a call on leadership, naming Riyan Parag as captain.
Former India pacer Lakshmipathy Balaji said the decision was unexpected. "I'm a little bit surprised with the call, especially when you have players like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ravindra Jadeja and overseas captaincy material like Sam Curran. It is kind of a gamble."
He said captaincy in the IPL goes beyond on-field calls. "Captaining in IPL is not only about on-field ability to take decisions, it's also about how you manage the dressing room. Your voice needs to be earned, and the trust needs to be earned. In that perspective, I feel like it is a double-edged sword. There will be a lot of help from Kumar Sangakkara, definitely, and you need that guidance."
"We have seen Rohit Sharma doing it as a young captain with Mumbai Indians, players getting used to leadership early. I'm sure it is an opportunity for Riyan Parag. If he can manage his performance and translate it on the ground with his leadership, then it is going to help him," he said.
Head coach Kumar Sangakkara will have a key role as the team adjusts. Balaji also pointed to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi as a player to watch after his performances last season.
"We have seen the kind of talent Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has. He scored that hundred against Gujarat Titans (and) against a very good bowling attack. Of course, the second year is always going to be a kind of challenge for any player," he said.
"That is where the mentorship of Kumar Sangakkara will come into play. The opposition would definitely have worked on some of his shortcomings. This season will be a huge opportunity and challenge for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi as a youngster to get that kind of consistency. How he translates it in the second season is going to be crucial," added Balaji.
