He scored 285 runs in nine matches in IPL 2025.
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) had touched their lowest in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, finishing at the bottom of the points table for the first time in tournament history. The franchise managed just four wins and eight points in the entire season. It was their old strategy of relying on experienced players and all-rounders that backfired on them. Their struggle was visible across all departments—batting, bowling, and fielding. At the wee end of the season, CSK’s stand-in captain, MS Dhoni, had hinted at significant changes in the squad. Meanwhile, the franchise gave opportunities to a few youngsters, who shone brightly in whatever limited opportunities they got. After an underwhelming series, there have been numerous rumours about Sanju Samson shifting his base from the Rajasthan Royals (RR) to the CSK ahead of the IPL 2026 season.
The Indian Express had previously reported that Samson even met with the CSK management and head coach Stephen Fleming during the Major League Cricket season. But it was noted that Rajasthan asked for two players from Chennai in exchange to the 30-year-old.
However, going into the next season, there are questions around Dhoni’s participation and the leadership group in the franchise. CSK’s full-time captain, Ruturaj Gaikwad, has also been out of form and hasn’t been able to leave a mark as skipper. Additionally, they faced a lot of issues with opening combinations, having tried four different combinations across the season. Hence, the five-time champions might look for an all-cash deal with RR.
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Samson’s inclusion might not help them but will increase their problems. He generally bats in the top order, and there is no space in CSK’s side. Youngsters like Ruturaj Gaikwad, Rachin Ravindra, and 17-year-old Ayush Mhatre and New Zealand star Devon Conway were fighting for the position. The rising sensation Urvil Patel, who played a couple of exceptional cameos in IPL 2025, also provides a wicket-keeping option alongside Conway. Ruturaj’s comeback could also mean him being slotted at number three after doing the same job in IPL 2025. Notably, the Maharashtra batter has demoted himself to number four in the ongoing Buchi Babu tournament.
Apart from this, Samson’s record at CSK’s home ground, MA Chidambaram Stadium, is terrible. He has managed just 134 runs in 11 innings, including a duck, averaging just 12.18. His strike rate of 100.75 also tells a different story. Notably, the right-hand batter hasn’t scored a hundred or a fifty in Chennai yet.
His record as a captain at Chepauk also doesn’t give a positive sign. In three matches, Samson has lost two matches, managing just one win, and that too by just three runs. Hence, as all the teams do, CSK might take his poor batting stats and captaincy records; the five-time champions might not consider roping him in.
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Samson’s former RR teammate R Ashwin has recently explained that his move to CSK ahead of the 2026 IPL season might not be a success. He also emphasised that CSK generally avoid trading players and will not certainly give away players worth INR 18 crore to match a Sanju Samson deal.
“Why the CSK-RR trade won’t work is because if Sanju is traded to CSK, and RR then try to trade with other teams, they’re unlikely to get valuable players in return. CSK generally don’t believe in trading. They aren’t going to trade players like Ravindra Jadeja or Shivam Dube. So, in all likelihood, Sanju coming to CSK is bleak, for the reasons I’ve explained. RR don’t have much to gain from this kind of trade,” said Ashwin on his YouTube channel.
Notably, CSK have traded Robin Uthappa ahead of the 2021 season from Rajasthan in an all-cash deal.
