"Don't know where these reports are coming from" - Rahul Dravid denies rift with Sanju Samson after super over debacle in DC vs RR IPL 2025 match 

Rajasthan Royals (RR) head coach Rahul Dravid has spoken out against claims suggesting a potential rift in the camp with captain Sanju Samson. A clip of the skipper not being involved in the strategy for the super over against Delhi Capitals (DC) made the rounds of social media, sparking a debate among fans.

In the footage, Samson was clearly outside the team huddle in the RR pavilion, where Dravid was rallying the troops. The captain also made a gesture with his hand to a teammate, indicating that he did not wish to be a part of the discussion.

RR made several questionable decisions after the match was tied at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Wednesday, April 16. Riyan Parag was sent out to bat in the super over instead of Nitish Rana, who had scored a sublime half-century during the run chase.

Furthermore, veteran pacer Sandeep Sharma was chosen to bowl ahead of speedster Jofra Archer. DC ended up chasing the 12-run target in just four balls through KL Rahul and Tristan Stubbs.

Rahul Dravid asserted that he is on the same page as Sanju Samson, and that there is no friction between them.

“I don't know where these reports are coming from. Sanju and I are on the same page," Rahul Dravid said in a pre-match press conference ahead of RR's home encounter against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) (via Hindustan Times).

RR had to deal with Sanju Samson's injury in the initial stages of the IPL 2025 campaign. Their fortunes seemed to be improving after consecutive wins against CSK and PBKS. But, they have gone on to lose three on the trot since then. The inaugural winners are now placed eighth on the points table with four points.

"He's involved in each and every decision and discussion" - Rahul Dravid on Sanju Samson's role in RR's decision-making

Dravid and Samson have worked together before when the latter was the head of the NCA and later on as the Team India head coach. Samson's father, Vishwanath, has even credited the former player for playing a key role in his son's development.

The head coach assured that Samson being captain is an integral part of the leadership group, and has a prominent say in decision-making. He further added that the talks of a rift are 'baseless stuff',

“He's a very integral part of our team. He's involved in each and every decision and discussion. Sometimes, when you lose games and things don't go right, you face criticism and we can take it on our performances, but we can't do anything about this baseless stuff. The spirit of the team is really good, I'm impressed with how hard these guys work. One of the things people don't understand is how hurt the players feel when they don't perform," Dravid elaborated.

RR will host LSG in a bid to revive their bleak campaign. The Sanju Samson-led side have only played one match at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in IPL 2025, where they lost to the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in a tame fashion.