Sanju Samson, the captain and key wicketkeeper-batsman of Rajasthan Royals, is looking to move out of the team. On August 7, Cricbuzz, ESPN Cricinfo and Indian Express all reported that the 30-year-old from Kerala has asked the Royals to trade him or release him before the 2026 IPL auctions. Samson has been with the Royals the longest, scored the most runs and has won the most matches for the team in the history of IPL.
A day after the reports surfaced, Indian Express mentioned that Chennai Super Kings, who have won the IPL five times, are interested in him. After the 2025 IPL season, Samson had discussions with the CSK management and their head coach Stephen Fleming in the US.
As per IPL rules, the decision to release or trade a player is with the franchise. Samson is under contract with the Royals till 2027, having signed a three-year deal unless the team decides to let him go.
CSK is willing to sign Samson in an all-cash trade. The talks have slowed down as Royals aren’t just looking for money. They want two players from CSK in return for Samson.
Samson has a past connection with KKR. He was part of the KKR team led by Gautam Gambhir that won the IPL in 2012. But he never played a game for the team.
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So far Samson has captained the Royals in 67 IPL games and won 33 of them. The Royals retained him for Rs 18 crore before the 2025 mega auction.
Last season he missed 5 games and played only 9 out of 14 due to an injury. Riyan Parag played in his place. The team finished 9th in the league and won only 4 matches.
Samson is also in contention for the Indian team for the upcoming Asia Cup. Before that he will play in the Kerala Cricket League for Kochi Blue Tigers.
