NEW DELHI: Sanju Samson etched his name in Rajasthan Royals’ history books on Saturday, becoming the franchise’s most successful captain with a commanding 50-run win over Punjab Kings in Indian Premier League 2025.
The match, held at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur, marked Samson’s 32nd victory as skipper — surpassing the legendary Shane Warne’s 31 wins.
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Warne, who led RR to the title in the IPL’s inaugural 2008 season, had 31 wins from 55 matches. Samson now has 32 from 62, cementing his legacy as the Royals’ most prolific leader.
Most wins as RR captain (IPL)
- 32 – Sanju Samson (62 matches)
- 31 – Shane Warne (55 matches)
- 18 – Rahul Dravid (34 matches)
- 15 – Steven Smith (27 matches)
- 9 – Ajinkya Rahane (24 matches)
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The win also ended Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer’s impressive eight-match unbeaten run in the IPL.
Most consecutive wins as an IPL captain
- 10 – Gautam Gambhir (2014-15)
- 8 – Shane Warne (2008)
- 8 – Shreyas Iyer (2024-25)
- 7 – Ms Dont (2013)
Yashasvi Jaiswal starred with the bat, smashing a 45-ball 67, and stitched an 89-run opening stand with Samson (38) to power Rajasthan to 205/4 — their highest total at the venue in six matches. Riyan Parag added a fiery unbeaten 43 off 25 balls.
Defending the total, Jofra Archer struck early with two wickets in the opening over and returned with figures of 3/25, earning the Player of the Match award. Despite a gritty 62 from Nehal Wadhera, Punjab Kings could only manage 155/9.
Rajasthan’s bowling attack maintained control throughout, as Punjab suffered their first loss of the season. Interestingly, teams defending 170-plus totals have now succeeded nine times out of ten in T20s at Mullanpur, where Punjab have now lost five of six games.
The Royals now look reinvigorated under Samson’s leadership, setting the tone for a strong campaign.
Get the latest IPL 2025 updates on Times of India, including match schedules, team squads, points table and IPL live score for CSK, MI, RCB, KKR, SRH, LSG, DC, GT, PBKS, and RR. Don’t miss the list of players in the race for IPL Orange Cap and IPL Purple cap.
