To put to bed the persistent speculations that he is set to be traded alongside Sanju Samson in the lead up to the 2026 season to the Indian Premier League, Indian leg-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has spoken out. The speculations were triggered as it was reported that Samson had asked Rajasthan Royals a release or a trade, and Ashwin was expected to depart Chennai Super kings.
Rumours Sparked by IPL Trade Talks
CSK, in same reports had expressed keen interest in Samson and a straight swap was on the cards. When appearing on YouTube channel Ash Ki Baat, Ashwin stated that he was surprised at how the fans had responded to the rumours.
He stated that, at the end of each IPL season, franchises send emails to players to analyze their performances, lay out their proposed plans to the upcoming season and ascertain whether each would renew his/her contracts or not. He further states that players could give an option as to whether they wanted to communicate to stay or were willing to move.
“I always believed that all the fans were well aware of the rules, but seeing the comments, I feel there should be some clarity. I played three years for RR. After the first year was over, I received an email from the CEO of RR, which was a performance review, outlining their expectations now, and stating that they are renewing my contract next year. So this happens on a yearly basis, and it is the responsibility of the franchisee to communicate with the player. Now, a player can express that he does or does not have an interest in renewing the contract and hence can seek clarity. So in this situation, where I am right now, I only sought clarity, which I had, in fact, asked for after the season had ended. Right now, there is nothing in my hand. And all these rumours do not come from the player. Take the situation with Sanju, it was not he who said anything. It was either rumours from here and there or from the franchise. And there are a lot of layers to this,” he said.
CSK vs RR Trade and Contract Values
Although admitting that Samson has signed a contract that is nearly twice his value, Ashwin explained how this kind of a deal can be possible.
“I became a CSK player last year at 9.5 crores, and Sanju Samson’s price is 18 crores at RR. If CSK want to take an 18-crore player, they will have to keep 18 crores free, or they can directly trade with RR. You can also trade somewhere else and take him in just a cash deal. I am not saying this is happening because I am conflicted in this matter. I work a little bit with the academy and am working with CSK, so I don’t have any inside news. A lot of meetings happen, and decisions are made there on what will be done, and I have no current communication on it. Of course, I can ask for clarity—I have already asked before: what my role is, how I can get better, etc,” he said.
Samson’s Future Still Uncertain
Ashwin underlined that only the Royals management and Samson himself could provide the answer about whether the wicketkeeper-batter is really looking to depart.
“If Sanju is available for trade—I don’t know—that’s an answer RR will have to give, Manoj Badale will have to give, whoever is there in RR will have to give. But from Sanju’s perspective, they will ask him whether he wants to go or not. That’s the choice a player has. But if a player has no interest in staying, then they won’t keep him—that’s just natural common sense. As for the conversations between them, they haven’t shared them with me. And even if they have, it wouldn’t be right for me to share it with someone else. So that’s it.”
R Ashwin’s Own CSK Role in Question
Responding to the media like reports of his departure in Chennai, Ashwin advised that he had merely been seeking clarity over his role which was what he had been doing at the denoument of the prior seasons.
“Last year, I played only nine games; in all my years of playing in the IPL, that was the first year I played just nine games. I always used to play every game for whichever franchise I was in, so it was my first experience like that. I asked for clarity from my side, but I asked for it during the IPL season itself. If Samson’s trade is to happen, CSK will have to keep 18 crores free, and then you have to see who you can release to make that space,” he said.
When asked if fans will see him in CSK colours next year, Ashwin remarked: “If tomorrow I’m not in the CSK team, it might benefit them—there’s no doubt about that. But it can’t all be about me.”
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