Rajasthan Royals captain Sanju Samson admitted the pressure of matching last year’s show will always be there in the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League 2023. The inaugural champions finished as the runners-up in the last edition of the Tata IPL and they will be looking to go one step ahead in IPL 2023.

RR had lost to Gujarat Titans in the final but they had come up with impressive performances throughout the season. The Sanju Samson-led team had won nine out of the 14 matches in the league stage and had finished at second place in the points table before the playoff stages.

Samson reflected on his journey with the Rajasthan Royals as he had joined the franchise as an 18-year-old teenager.

Speaking at the jersey launch of the team, Samson said, “I joined Rajasthan Royals when I was just 18. Now I’m 28 and it’s been a remarkable journey so far. The last ten years have been thoroughly exciting and challenging. This is my team and I always want to see RR doing well. Pressure of matching last year’s show will always be there. It was a dream performance by the entire team to reach the summit clash in 2022. Having reached the final last year, people will be expecting us to dazzle yet again. We have no choice but to play well and match last year’s feat if not doing better.”

Meanwhile, Samson feels the franchise is fortunate to have Sangakkara as their chief coach as his experience has been of great help.

“We are fortunate to have Sangakkara as our coach. He is a legendary player and having him in the dressing room and on the ground while practising is a big boost for us. With his vast experience, we are always in the process of improving ourselves. He is constantly thinking of different strategies for the benefit of the squad.”

Rajasthan Royals will kick off their IPL 2023 campaign against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad on 2nd April.