IPL 2026: “They’ve lost that face” – Faf du Plessis on Samson leaving Rajasthan Royals

Sanju Samson vs DC
Sanju Samson (PC: IPL/X)

Former South Africa captain Faf du Plessis feels that Rajasthan Royals (RR) losing Sanju Samson is a big setback for the franchise going into the IPL 2026. Du Plessis believes Samson was not just a player but the face of the team for 11 years, and his absence will hurt both the franchise and the fans.

While reflecting on his absence on JioHotstar, du Plessis said, “If I look at the IPL and the teams, the iconic teams we see around the league, all of them have one marquee Indian player in common, someone who has been the face of the franchise for a period of time, Rohit Sharma, MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli. And Sanju Samson, for me, was that guy at Rajasthan Royals.”

Samson was traded to Chennai Super Kings (CSK) for INR 18 crore ahead of the IPL 2026 auction. He first joined RR in 2013 and played until 2015. He then played for Delhi Capitals(DC) for two seasons (2016, 2017). In 2018, RR bought him back, and in total, he scored 4,027 runs in 149 matches for the franchise.

Du Plessis highlighted Samson’s significance to RR and said, “Yes, he’s of a newer generation, but he had become the face of that franchise. If I think of Rajasthan Royals, I think Sanju Samson. So, the fact that they’ve lost that face, I think, is a massive thing for the fans, for the IPL, and for the tournament, because he’s played such a big role there.”

RR will play their tournament opener against CSK on March 30 in Guwahati, where Samson will face his former team.

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The post IPL 2026: “They’ve lost that face” – Faf du Plessis on Samson leaving Rajasthan Royals appeared first on Sports News Portal | Revsportz.



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