In a major development, Rajasthan Royals have retained their skipper Sanju Samson for Rs. 14 crore ahead of IPL 2022 season. According to a report in ESPN Cricinfo, Samson will continue as captain of the side after agreeing to a contract of INR 14 crore each year for the next three seasons. The 2008 champions are still discussion for the remaining three slots. Opening wicket-keeper batter Jos Buttler, pacer Jofra Archer, all-rounder Ben Stokes are the three other retention candidates. Buttler seems a no-brainer being one of the best white-ball atters in the world going around.
The franchise has to decide for the fourth player between Archer, Livingstone and Ben Stokes, who has returned to training after he took an indefinite break from cricket to focus on his mental well-being while recovering from his finger injury sustained in the first half of IPL 2021.A team can retain a maximum of four players and all have to be done before auction since there is no RTM available this year. The franchise will have INR 48 crore to play with, in the auction as four players will cost them 42 crore. Samson may have signed a contract of INR 14 crore but it will cost them 16 crore as per the retention rules, being the first player for the franchise. All the eight existing teams have time till November 30 to announce the list of players they would retain. These teams will be allowed to retain a maximum of 4 players. Two of the retained names can be of overseas players. Samson had stellar IPL 2021 in the UAE but RR failed to qualify for the playoffs after finishing seventh in the IPL points table.
