"Like my older brothers" - RR skipper Sanju Samson on his bond with Ravichandran Ashwin and Jos Buttler
Rajasthan Royals (RR) captain Sanju Samson recently opened up on the relationship he shares with his teammates. The keeper-batter mentioned that he considers Jos Buttler and Ravichandran Ashwin his older brothers.
Samson emphasized that he shares a good bond with left-handed batter Shimron Hetmyer and treats the youngsters of the Rajasthan team as his younger brothers.
In a video shared by RR on social media, Sanju Samson said:
"It's a different kind of relation with different kinds of players. [Jos] Buttler and [Ravichandran] Ashwin are like my older brothers. [Shimron] Hetmyer is more like a friend to me."
"The youngsters in the team are my younger brothers. I am very fortunate to have some really good connect in our own team. That really helps, and I really enjoy and cherish that," he added.
Samson further highlighted that as captain, it is important for him to treat all players in the same manner on the field, adding:
"I believe once you are on the field, everyone is equal. When you treat them the way they should be treated, everything becomes very normal. There is a different way of communicating to different kind of players. Sometimes you need to be hard. When you need to make your decisions, you need to be confident in yourself first."
Samson has had an impressive run as the RR skipper over the past two years. Under his captaincy, the inaugural champions made it to the final in the previous edition.
The Rajasthan-based side have shown great consistency this time around as well, winning five of their eight matches so far. They are currently placed second in the points table.
"I have the confidence to do this role" - Sanju Samson on being at the helm of RR
Sanju Samson further stated that he was confident of succeeding in a leadership role for Rajasthan. He noted that he has been a part of the league for several years now, and has proven his worth.
The 28-year-old pointed out that his focus is on being transparent and communicating his messages clearly to the rest of the team members. Samson elaborated:
"I have played the game enough and proved myself. I have the confidence to do this role. You need to have that kind of confidence to do this kind of role. You need to have a lot of transparency and communication.
"Whenever you are asking a legend like Ash Bhai to do this role, you need to convince him that this is what I am trying to do and this is what the team is expecting out of you. Transparency and communication are very important for a youngster like me to lead a team like this."
RR are set to take on Mumbai Indians (MI) in match number 42 of IPL 2023. The game will be played at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday, April 30.