Rajasthan Royals captain Sanju Samson was charged Rs 24 lakh fine as his side sustained a slow over-rate in the IPL 2025 match against Gujarat Titans on Wednesday. It was not the day for RR as they got outplayed completely by Gujarat. Which led thumbing 58 runs for the Sanju Samson lead team.
Samson was fined for violating the IPL code of conduct and this was the second occasion when RR had a slow over-rate in this year’s tournament. Earlier, after the match against Chennai Super Kings, stand-in captain Riyan Parag was fined Rs 12 lakh. “The remaining members of the Playing XI, including the Impact Player, will be fined either INR six lakhs or 25 per cent of their respective match fees, whichever is lesser,” an IPL media release stated.
Sanju Samson admits RR lost grip at Key Moments
In the meantime, Samson conceded his team allowed the game to get away from them at crucial junctures in their 58-run defeat against Gujarat Titans (GT) at the Narendra Modi Stadium. In pursuit of a formidable target of 218, RR were bowled out for 159 in 19.2 overs, as Gujarat’s bowlers dismantled their batting order.
Talking after the loss, Samson referred to lapses in execution with both bat and ball.”We gave away 15-20 runs extra in the bowling,” he said.
“When we needed momentum, we lost wickets. With Hettie [Shimron Hetmyer], sixes and fours kept coming. But I lost my wicket and that’s where we lost the game,” he added.
Sanju Samson-Parag Partnership
Samson played a promising knock of 41 off 28 deliveries, striking four boundaries and two sixes. He and Riyan Parag stitched together a 48-run partnership, offering brief hope before a collapse triggered by Gujarat’s disciplined bowling attack.
The RR captain attributed Jofra Archer with an excellent ball start, “The way Jofra started was good, he picked up Shubman’s wicket. Then we went off plan. We planned something but they executed something else. We will have to look at that tomorrow,” Samson noted.
The Royals have shown strength while batting first this season, but questions have emerged about their ability to chase down big totals under pressure. Samson acknowledged the debate but reiterated the team’s intent to be a well-rounded unit.
“When you lose games, we also feel should we have chased? Should we have done something else?” he reflected.
“We want to be a team that wins games while chasing, not just win batting first,” he added.
The Royals now embark on a period of internal reflection as they seek a turn-around and getting their momentum back in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
