Why is Sanju Samson not part of the starting XI in the second match of IPL 2025 vs Sunrisers Hyderabad?

The second game of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season is set to witness a huge encounter. Hosts Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) are all set to take on Rajasthan Royals (RR) at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Sunday. Riyan Parag became the seventh player to captain RR in the IPL. Sanju Samson had already stated that he will be playing as a pure batter in the first few games of the season. 

The 30-year-old wasn’t in the first XI, as announced by Riyan Parag at the toss. Samson, in fact, will play as the impact player and is likely to open the batting with Yashasvi Jaiswal. Dhruv Jurel will be the wicketkeeper for the Royals, as they opted to field first after winning the toss. 

Samson wasn’t given the required clearance to keep wickets by BCCI’s centre of excellence. RR had put out a statement earlier in the week that read, “Sanju Samson, an integral part of the Royals set-up, will remain a key contributor with the bat until he is cleared for wicketkeeping and fielding. He will return as captain once fully fit." The 30-year-old had injured his finger in the recent T20I series against England. 

Mohammed Shami and Ishan Kishan make their debuts for SRH

Sunrisers Hyderabad, who had made it to the finals of the IPL 2024 season, handed out the debut caps to two Indian players. Ishan Kishan and Mohammed Shami, who were part of the Mumbai Indians and Gujarat Titans, respectively, will be playing their first match for SRH. Veteran pacer Harshal Patel and former CSK seamer Simarjeet Singh are the other debutants in the game. 

Rajasthan Royals left out Wanindu Hasaranga from their playing XI, handing out the debut cap to Maheesh Theekshana. The last time these two sides met was during the second qualifier match, where SRH went on to win by 36 runs. Pat Cummins, the skipper, was welcomed by the home fans with a loud cheer as he stepped onto the pitch. 

Speaking at the toss, Cummins said “ It is great to be back. The core of the group is the same, and the coaching staff is the same. Don't think batting or bowling first matters. It is pretty hot, so don't mind bowling second. It would be nice to keep last season's form going. We always encourage our games to play with freedom.”