Sanju Samson and Ravichandran Ashwin, the two superstars of Rajasthan Royals, share a fabulous camaraderie on the ground that has helped them win some phenomenal matches.
But it's Royals captain Sanju Samson’s humorous side that has helped both of them forge a bond off the field as well.
“Sanju is extremely funny off the field. I am not sure a lot of people understand that or probably know that,” Ashwin told Star Sports.
R Ashwin is known for his affinity towards movies and with Samson also sharing the same love for cinema, it has further strengthened their friendship.
“He (Sanju) speaks Hindi, Malayalam and Tamil and we connect a lot. I am a Tamil cinema buff and we connect there and he gets humour. A lot of people who speak Tamil and are not natively from Chennai or somewhere inside the state, don’t get the internal humour because a lot of humour comes from the movies," Ashwin explained.
Ravichandran Ashwin deems their relationship outside the ground just like siblings. However, once on the pitch, the two are able to switch to their designated roles.
“It’s generally that younger brother, elder brother sort of a relationship off it. However, that relationship off the field doesn’t come on the field,” Ashwin stated.
“On the field, we are able to switch off. I do what he wants and give my inputs and then he takes what he wants and gets on with it.”
Ashwin, who will record his 100th Test appearance for the Indian cricket team when he faces England in the fifth Test on March 7, was all praise for Samson’s leadership abilities at Rajasthan Royals.
“I find Sanju as a young captain, he is able to differentiate, and demarcate both which is phenomenal,” Ashwin pointed out.
Post the India-England Test series, Ashwin will join Sanju Samson for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024.
Rajasthan Royals will play their first match of the season against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium on March 24 in IPL 2024.
