The speculations about the possible departure of Sanju Samson out of Rajasthan Royals ahead of the mini-auction in IPL 2026 has been doing rounds over the last couple of weeks. The Chennai Super Kings, who are regarded as the strongest possible destination of his signature, were sought to be traded but they instantly rejected the offer of Rajasthan to directly trade with them.
CSK Rejects Swap for Ruturaj, Jadeja, or Dube
The impasse came about following an initiative by Royals lead owner Manoj Badale who had gone around the nine other franchises himself to discuss trade opportunities. It has also been reported that Badale even mentioned names of players who were preferred, which is a strong indication that he was keen on closing a deal.
Chennai Super Kings had an opportunity to get Sanju Samson by giving up Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ravindra Jadeja or Shivam Dube. But the defending champions were not willing to release any of these core players and the negotiations are stuck unless CSK changes its mind or waits till the auction.
Franchise Interest in Sanju Samson Remains High
Though this trade seems to be stagnated, there are other teams that are said to be keen to have Sanju Samson in their team. Reports indicate that there are no chances that his name will go to the auction because various franchises would rather sign him directly.
Even though this is uncertain, Samson may still stay at Rajasthan Royals. Such issues are not subject to player input but tensions caused by the release of Jos Buttler have reportedly created a rift between the management and captain.
Samson Reflects on Difficult Decisions
“Letting him go has been one of the most challenging decisions for me. I told him during the England series that over dinner that I was yet to get over it. If I could change one thing in the IPL, I would change the rule of releasing players every three years,” Samson had told Star Sports.
In the speculation, Sanju Samson has not openly condemned the Royals. During a recent interview with R Ashwin, he lauded the atmosphere at the franchise and even spoke of the prospective of the 14-year-old left-handed batsman Vaibhav Suryavanshi who made an entrance into the opening set-up this season.
Future of Sanju Samson Still Unclear
Sanju Samson is in limbo as far as his future in the IPL is concerned. The Royals are willing to negotiate and without a reasonable deal of a trade package, it is unlikely a move to Chennai would take place. Will he remain loyal to Jaipur or will he find a new home, his future move will be a close eye of the league.
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