''I passed my fitness test..' - Sanju Samson cleared to play against Punjab Kings on May 18 in IPL 2025

Sanju Samson joined the Rajasthan Royals (RR) training session and is set to feature in their match against the in-form Punjab Kings (PBKS) today on May 18 at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur.

Samson was forced to the sidelines due to injury during the crucial part of IPL 2025, while Riyan Parag was in charge as the stand-in captain to lead the team. For a long, long string of underwhelming performances, the Royals are already knocked out of the tournament and will play their remaining outings to justify their pride.

Sanju Samson's return from injury will bolster the batting of the team and can offer an extra edge over PBKS. On the contrary, the Shreyas Iyer-led side is positively eyeing a spot in the round of four mix-ups. Samson cleared all speculations about his injury during the pre-match press conference, where he hinted about his participation in the RR vs. PBKS contest.

A battle to save pride

The star wicketkeeper batter said, "I passed my fitness test, so I’m available for the game. Yeah, I think 'frustrating' is definitely the right word. It's been very difficult and challenging to watch the games from the dugout. I missed out on a lot of crucial matches, which made it even tougher. Mentally, it was hard to see the team losing and not be able to contribute on the field. But these things are part of a cricketing career. I'm trying to take it in my stride and focus on the positives."

The 30-year-old played in the seventh match of their IPL 2025 campaign, where he was forced to retire hurt after making 31 off 19 deliveries against Delhi Capitals (DC). A super over was in place to separate those teams after an intense clash, while DC emerged as the best of the night.