Kamal Ghorui
Former South Africa cricketer Faf du Plessis has weighed in on Rajasthan Royals’ decision to part ways with their long-time star and face of the franchise, Sanju Samson, ahead of IPL 2026. Samson, who represented the Royals for over a decade across 11 seasons, has been traded to five-time champions Chennai Super Kings and will sport the yellow jersey in the upcoming season.In return, Rajasthan Royals secured England all-rounder Sam Curran and veteran Ravindra Jadeja from CSK. Speaking to JioHotstar, du Plessis emphasised Samson’s significance not only as a player but also as the central figure of the Royals’ identity in the IPL.“Looking at the IPL, the iconic franchises all have one marquee Indian player who defines the team — Rohit Sharma, MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli. For me, that was Sanju Samson at Rajasthan Royals,” du Plessis said.He added, “Yes, he’s from a newer generation, but he had become the face of the franchise. Losing him is a huge deal — for the fans, the IPL, and the tournament itself — because he has played such a pivotal role there.”Du Plessis also highlighted how Samson’s exit will shift added responsibility onto Yashasvi Jaiswal, who previously benefited from having a seasoned and consistent performer like Samson in the lineup.“With Sanju Samson delivering such steady runs over the years, Yashasvi could play freely and express his natural game,” du Plessis explained. “Now, with that support gone, more responsibility will fall on him. For a young player, you don’t want that weight clouding his mindset. He should be thinking, ‘I want to take the game on. I want to hit as many sixes as possible.’”He added, “This season will be a learning curve for him — figuring out whether he stays true to his natural attacking style or steps into the senior role to carry the bulk of the runs. I’m confident he’ll continue to play aggressively, because that’s who he is as a player. It would be foolish for him to do otherwise.”Samson’s contributions for the Royals are historic. In 155 T20 matches, he scored 4,219 runs at an average of 31.96 and a strike rate of 140.53, making him not only the team’s highest run-scorer but also the player with the most appearances in the franchise’s history.Rajasthan Royals, now led by Riyan Parag, will open their IPL 2026 campaign against Samson’s new team, Chennai Super Kings, in Guwahati on March 30.
