Rajasthan Royals pacer Sandeep Sharma rued the absence of their regular captain, Sanju Samson, as the franchise suffered their fifth straight defeat of the IPL 2025 season against Royal Challengers Bangalore on Thursday.

RR suffered an 11-run defeat to RCB as their batting unit failed to fire and missed crucial catches. Samson, who has not yet recovered from a side strain, continues to miss the matches. He has played only seven matches this season.

Speaking at the post-match press conference, Sandeep said, "Obviously, his absence has been felt. He is a very experienced captain and player, and as a batsman, he is very smart. So yes, his absence has definitely been felt. He did not captain the first three matches, and after that, he got a side injury again. Obviously, all this is costing us. All these things have come together and are pulling the team down."

Samson played the first three matches only as a specialist batter, with Riyan Parag leading in his absence. Although Samson returned as captain for three matches midway through the season, an injury during their Super Over defeat to Delhi Capitals saw him retire hurt and subsequently miss the next two games, including the RCB clash.

The stand-in skipper, Riyan Parag, confirmed that Samson is recovering. However, there is no clear timeline for his return to the playing XI. RR currently sit in 8th place on the IPL 2025 points table, with just three wins in nine matches, and will next face table-toppers Gujarat Titans.

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