IPL 2022: India’s premier off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin lavished rich praises on the Rajasthan Royals skipper, Sanju Samson, as he prepares to take the field for his fifth IPL franchise.
Released from the Delhi Capitals, Ashwin was bought by the Royals for 5 crore in the mega-auction last month.
Speaking about Samson, the off-spinner complimented the RR skipper’s attitude towards his teammates as a captain. He believes that Samson as a wicket-keeper gets the best viewpoint of the happening in the game.
“I think Sanju has got an amazing attitude and a good head on his shoulders. He’s always open for discussion, open to opinions around the game, so that’s a great quality to have,” Ashwin said.
“I do believe Sanju has got the vantage point as a wicketkeeper to judge the game with all the angles, the pitch and how things are going to work. He also has age on his side, and will definitely get better.”
Samson was made RR’s permanent captain last season; although he shone with the bat last season, Samson couldn’t take RR through to the playoffs. With a strong-looking squad this time, they’d be hoping for better results in IPL 2022.
Being a senior pro, Ashwin will have to make his part of the contributions. Ashwin, who recently became India’s second-highest Test wicket-taker, asserted that his role in the progress of RR is not limited to just the field, but will have to play an equally vital role behind the scenes in imparting his knowledge and experience with other players.
“I feel contribution to a team is far beyond than just contributing on the ground. I’ve always been a person who enjoys talking about cricket and have been very open in terms of having a discussion with anyone around the sport.
“With my experience and communication skills, I’ll try to have discussions with anyone who wants to have a discussion and help to the best of my ability, hopefully making a difference to the squad from within,” the 35-year-old explained.
Rajasthan Royals will begin their campaign on March 29 against Sunrisers Hyderabad in Pune.
