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'Buttler Has Been Like A Brother…,:' Samson Reveals 'Challenging Decision' For IPL 2025

Aakash Saini

Jos Buttler and Sanju Samson [Source: @mufaddal_vohra/x]Jos Buttler and Sanju Samson [Source: @mufaddal_vohra/x]

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Rajasthan Royals captain Sanju Samson has said that letting go of Jos Buttler prior to the IPL 2025 mega auction was one of the “most challenging decisions” for him. Both Samson and Buttler joined the Rajasthan Royals group together for the 2018 edition of the tournament, and remained teammates at the franchise for seven seasons until 2024.

The Indian wicketkeeper-batter expressed his admiration for the English batting legend, and claimed that if it were up to him, he would change the IPL rule of releasing players in a bulk every three years.

Samson describes challenges of letting Jos Buttler go

While speaking on JioStar, Sanju Samson expressed his admiration for ‘close friend’ Jos Buttler and talked about the partnership they built together at the Rajasthan Royals over the course of seven IPL seasons. He described Buttler like his “elder brother”, who always assisted him with either batting or captaincy. Samson said:

“The IPL gives you the opportunity to lead a team and play at the highest level, and it also allows you to build close friendships. Jos Buttler is one of my closest friends. We played together for seven years. During this time, our batting partnership time itself is 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.”

Sanju Samson also recollected that the decision of not retaining Jos Buttler for IPL 2025 was one of the “most challenging decisions” for him and for the franchise. The Indian wicketkeeper-batter even revealed that he had a talk with Buttler over dinner when the England team visited India for a white-ball series last month. He added:

“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 relation you built over years. He was a part of the family. What more can I say?”

With Rajasthan Royals deciding to let Jos Buttler go, the legendary English batter was snapped up by the Gujarat Titans franchise at the IPL 2025 mega auction.

Nonetheless, the IPL 2025 season is scheduled to launch on March 22 with a match between RCB and defending champions KKR at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.