Rajasthan Royals (RR) captain and wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson is speculated to leave the franchise ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2026) auction later this year. It is also understood that the 30-year-old has formally requested an exit from the inaugural champions.
While there are rumours of ongoing talks for a possible trade with other teams before the auction, there has been no confirmation of the same yet.
If the trade negotiations don’t go through, Samson will enter the auction which can trigger a bidding war. Let’s take a look at three teams that can break the bank to acquire the Indian star.
KKR have two wicketkeeper-batters in their roster in Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Quinton de Kock. However, both the overseas stars failed to get going last season, and are expected to be released for the upcoming auction.
Targeting Sanju thus makes a lot of sense for the three-time champions, who are in need of a wicketkeeper-batter who can also open and the current RR skipper fits the bill perfectly.
Furthermore, since releasing Shreyas Iyer after IPL 2024, KKR are also on the lookout for a long-term captaincy option and Sanju can takeover the reins, given his prior experience with the Royals.
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With uncertainty regarding MS Dhoni’s future, CSK sees Samson as a probable successor and also as a leadership figure. Also with Devon Conway likely to be released, Samson will add up as a backup keeper if bought. Furthermore, he is from South India and will also have the backing of the fanbase.
However, with Ruturaj Gaikwad already being named the captain a couple of seasons ago, Samson might not get captaincy immediately.
Delhi Capitals have had issues in their top order, as Jake Fraser-McGurk and Faf du Plessis struggled last season and this is where Sanju Samson can step in.
Apart from the batting impetus, Samson can also contribute in the leadership with his experience and can be a probable captaincy option in the future. Also, with speculations of KL Rahul’s trade rumours with KKR, Sanju’s addition also provides another wicketkeeping option alongside Abhishek Porel.
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