Aakash Chopra, the former Indian cricketer turned commentator, feels there might be a connection between Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s rapid rise in the Rajasthan Royals (RR) lineup and Sanju Samson’s rumored interest in moving on before the 2026 IPL auction.
Chopra thinks if Samson leaves, KKR would be one of the teams most keen to get him. Recent reports suggest Samson has asked RR to release him and that has sparked talk about where he might go next. In a video on his YouTube channel, Chopra asked why Samson would want to leave Rajasthan, especially when he has been so important for them in the past.
Chopra said KKR comes to mind not CSK. He feels KKR lacks an Indian wicketkeeper-batter. He added that getting a captain is good, even though Ajinkya Rahane has led well and scored runs.
Chopra pointed out that Ajinkya Rahane’s role as a batter presents a slight problem, whether he opens or fits elsewhere in the batting order. He said KKR could release Venkatesh Iyer and get close to ₹24 crore which could be used to make big changes to the team.
Samson has been with RR since his IPL debut in 2013, only missing the seasons when the team was suspended in 2016 and 2017. Chopra thinks Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s emergence as Yashasvi Jaiswal’s opening partner might have made Samson think about leaving.
In the previous IPL season, Samson scored 285 runs in 9 innings at 140.39. Suryavanshi has had an explosive start to his IPL career, scoring 252 runs in 7 innings at 206.55 and the fastest IPL century by an Indian, making him a known name and possibly changing RR’s batting plans.
Read Also:- Sanju Samson Requests Release from Rajasthan Royals Before IPL 2026
KKR didn’t have an Indian wicketkeeper-batter in the 2025 IPL season and had to use overseas players like Quinton de Kock and Rahmanullah Gurbaz. Chopra said Samson, as a skilled Indian wicketkeeper and a potential captain, would be a great fit for KKR. If Samson leaves RR, Riyan Parag would be the next in line to captain. Venkatesh Iyer who was re-signed by KKR for ₹23.75 crore had a poor season, scoring 142 runs in 11 matches at 20.28.
Samson has told RR he wants to be traded or released so he can be part of the 2026 IPL auction.
