IPL 2025: Sanju Samson opens up about Rajasthan Royals letting go of Jos Buttler

A mega auction in the IPL is poised to transform the entire squad of a franchise. However, the retentions still provide teams with a chance to retain their respective cores. Many follow the same template, where the skipper is placed highest in the pecking order, followed by the top performers over the seasons. The retentions ahead of IPL 2025, however, staged many shocking decisions. The defending champions, Kolkata Knight Riders, let go of their skipper Shreyas Iyer, followed by Lucknow Super Giants and Delhi Capitals, who didn't retain KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant, respectively. Meanwhile, Rajasthan Royals, despite using all of their available retention slots, didn't find space to accommodate Jos Buttler in their combination.

Rajasthan Royals retained their skipper Sanju Samson, along with young prospects like Dhruv Jurel and Riyan Parag. Other retentions included their star performer Yashasvi Jaiswal and West Indies all-rounder Shimron Hetmyer. Despite utilizing all of their retention slots, the IPL 2022 runners-up didn't include English batter Jos Buttler in their plans. The former England skipper joined the side in IPL 2018 and went on to become the highest scorer for them across the seven seasons he played in Rajasthan. A solid presence at the top, Buttler amassed 3,055 runs in 83 games at an average of 41.84. Moreover, the 2022 season witnessed Buttler smashing records to score 863 runs, aided by four centuries. While Rajasthan narrowly missed out on the title, Buttler won the Orange Cap.

The batter was bagged by Gujarat Titans in the IPL 2025 mega auction after he joined the pool. However, as it turns out, Sanju Samson is yet to move on from the transition. An ally for long in the Pinks, Samson held Buttler as an elder brother. The Rajasthan skipper explained that during their time together in Rajasthan, Buttler and he developed a close friendship. Moreover, Samson mentioned having a conversation with the English batter during the recent England Tour of India, where he expressed his hesitation to move on from the fact that they wouldn't be playing together anymore. At the crux of it, Samson rued the limited retentions allowed to a franchise ahead of a mega auction.

"Jos Buttler is one of my closest friends. We played together for seven years. During this time, our batting partnership itself was so long that we got to know each other so well. He has been like an elder brother to me. Whenever I had a doubt, I would talk to him. When I became captain [in 2021], he was my vice-captain and helped me become a good captain," Samson said.

"Letting him go has been one of the most challenging decisions for me. During the England series, I told him over dinner that I was still not over it. If I could change one thing in the IPL, I would change the rule of releasing players every three years. While it has its positives, on a personal level, you lose that connect, that relationship you built over years. He was a part of the family," he added.