Will Sanju Samson become 'Captain Cool 2.0'? Here's what the Rajasthan skipper thinks

Having assumed the leadership duties of Rajasthan Royals after Steve Smith's departure, Sanju Samson hopes to return the franchise its lost glory in his very first season as the captain. With the influx of some new blood and a heavy contract handed out to Chris Morris, Samson feels that the Royals had a 'fantastic' auction with hopes of going all the way this season. However, when compared with former India skipper and now CSK counterpart MS Dhoni, the Kerala-lad remarked that he doesn't want to emulate the legendary batsman but wants to enjoy his own identity. 

Asserting that no one can be MS Dhoni, Samson shunned the prospects of being called 'Captain Cool 2.0'. In an interview with his franchise, Samson said, "I don’t think anyone can be like MS Dhoni. I would like to be myself. Sanju Samson will be good enough."

The newly-appointed captain, in a message to Rajasthan fans, assured to play some good cricket and bring smiles on their faces. “I would like to thank each and every fan out there for supporting our team and being with us no matter what. I’ll make sure that we play some good cricket for you guys and bring a smile to your faces. Thanks a lot, guys,” he said.

On Rajasthan's auction, Samson said, “I think our team management did a fantastic job in the auction and we got almost every player we wanted. Each and every player’s role is going to be crucial in this season.”

Going into the IPL 2021, Rajasthan boosted their firepower by making some new additions to their arsenal in hopes of clinching the title 13 years after they first won. Rajasthan have acquired South African all-rounder Chris Morris for a whopping INR 16.25 crore, making him the most expensive buy in the auction history. They also acquired the services of Shivam Dube and Bangladesh left-arm pacer Mustafizur Rahman.

Royals to miss Jofra Archer 

Rajasthan Royals will miss the services of star pacer Jofra Archer as the English speed gun underwent a surgery recently. The lanky speedster had pulled out of the recent ODI series against India as he was supposed to undergo surgery after injuring his finger which put a question mark over his participation in IPL 2021. Archer had suffered a cut to his hand while cleaning at his home in January shortly before flying to India to prepare for the Test series.

As per a recent report in ESPNCricinfo, Jofra Archer successfully underwent finger surgery on Monday in England and is likely to miss the first four matches of the RR IPL 2021 schedule. The IPL 2008 champions were expecting a specific date from the ECB on Jofra Archer's departure from England but it is now understood that the franchise expects the bowler to be out for at least the first four games.