Rajasthan Royals skipper and star wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson has expressed his desire to leave the franchise ahead of the IPL 2026 auction. As reported
by ESPNcricinfo on Thursday (August 7), the 30-year-old from Kerala - RR's most capped player, leading run-scorer, and most successful captain - has formally asked the franchise to either trade him or release him.
Now, according to a report by The Indian Express, five-time IPL champions Chennai Super Kings are showing strong interest in signing the Royals' talisman. The publication revealed that following the conclusion of IPL 2025, Samson met CSK's management and head coach Stephen Fleming in the United States.
"It is understood that Chennai are open to the idea of bringing the 30-year-old to Chepauk through a trade deal via cash. But it has hit a roadblock, with Rajasthan preferring an exchange of two players from Chennai," the report stated.
Apart from CSK, three-time winners Kolkata Knight Riders are also believed to be keen on acquiring Samson. However, the report adds that "Samson seems to be keen on making a move to Chennai for multiple reasons. " Interestingly, Samson has a brief history with KKR - he was part of their squad during the 2012 season when the team lifted the trophy under Gautam Gambhir's leadership, although he did not feature in any match.
If no agreement is reached between RR and CSK, the likelihood of Samson entering the auction increases significantly. "According to those in the know, the chances of Samson entering the auctions are highly likely at this stage if both Rajasthan and Chennai don't reach an agreement," the report further mentioned.
Since his IPL debut in 2013, Samson has represented only two franchises - Rajasthan Royals and Delhi Capitals (formerly Delhi Daredevils) - playing 177 matches and scoring 4,704 runs. His tally includes three centuries and 26 half-centuries. As captain, he guided RR to the 2022 final, their first since winning the inaugural edition in 2008, and has registered 33 wins in 67 matches at the helm.
Ahead of the 2025 mega auction, Rajasthan Royals retained him for ₹18 crore. The coming weeks will determine whether the Royals' leader continues in Jaipur or makes a blockbuster move to Chennai.
