Sanju Samson Leaving RR Breaks IPL Fans' Hearts: 'Greatest To Play For Rajasthan Royals After...'

Rajasthan Royals (RR) traded their captain, Sanju Samson, for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, as fans were left emotional for their ‘Chettan’.

Samson will play for CSK at his current league fee of Rs 18 crore. With 177 IPL matches under his belt, he is among the league’s most experienced players. This marks only his third franchise. Since making his IPL debut in 2013, the senior player has primarily represented RR, except for the 2016 and 2017 seasons when he played for Delhi Capitals.

You walked in as a young boy in Blue. Today, we bid goodbye to a Captain, Leader, our Chetta.

Thank you for everything, Sanju Samson 💗 pic.twitter.com/TC7MHeT6e9

— Rajasthan Royals

(@rajasthanroyals) November 15, 2025

IPL 2026 Retention Live Updates

Fans were sad to see Samson leaving the ‘Pink’ for ‘Yellow’.

Once a Royal, now a King 💛🩷#SanjuSamson

— Jaif (@jaifaldinho) November 15, 2025

Greatest Royal ever after warne

— नमन (@WiFiiAndLiES) November 15, 2025

The first time I noticed him was when he hit those 9 sixes.When he joined RR,I started following every single match because I loved his batting.He is an exceptionally talented batsman,and his extracover shot is simply gorgeous. Thank you, Sanju, for everything you’ve done for RR.

— Raushan Prasad (@RaushanPrasad07) November 15, 2025

Thank you for all the wondeRRful memoRRies Chettaaa 🥹🩷💪🏻🫶🏻

— ABDUL RAZACK (@RazackAbdullah) November 15, 2025

This is the most heartbreaking day as Royal fan…Past 10 days all the talk around trade….just wanted all it is fake and rumors, but today when it is official this…this hurts the most. Rajasthan You messed up big time…!!! You let go the face of RR…You let go our soul pic.twitter.com/xVFQElyR7i

— Devanshu Maheshwari (@beingdevanshu19) November 15, 2025

Thank you Rajasthan Royals for continuous support and love for him over the years. We will miss you

— Dhikhil C D (@dhikhil) November 15, 2025

Samson was the only reason I supported RR. Now that he’s gone, my journey with RR ends too. I am no more a RR fan .

— Mohit Tewary (@MohitTewary2) November 15, 2025

Goodbye Sanju?
🥺🫂

— naviyo (@naviyoisback) November 15, 2025

Thanks you Sanju for such beautiful memories in rajasthan royals we always miss you in pink 🥲💝💔 pic.twitter.com/J2Zu0VTc86

— Aryan choudhary (@AryanSaharan10) November 15, 2025

We will Sanju Samson in RR. pic.twitter.com/z3Tq5JP9kT

— Sameer Allana (@HitmanCricket) November 15, 2025

Also Read: Sanju Samson Joins Chennai Super Kings, Ravindra Jadeja Back With Rajasthan Royals After 16 Years

What SS Did for RR?

Sanju Samson had been a vital player for the RR since he joined the franchise in 2013. Since becoming captain in 2021, he has established himself as one of the IPL’s most dependable performers. The Kerala batsman has surpassed the 4000-run milestone in the league and has scored three IPL centuries.

His first season as captain in 2021 was notable, highlighted by an impressive 63-ball 119 against Punjab Kings in his debut match as skipper.

In 2022, Samson adopted a more aggressive style, once again surpassing 400 runs for the season and leading the Royals to their first IPL final since their 2008 title win. His best IPL campaign came in 2024, when he scored 531 runs at an average of 48.27 and a strike rate of 153.47, reinforcing his status as one of the league’s most reliable top-order batsmen.

(With inputs from Agencies)