The keeper-batter has played for the Rajasthan Royals for 10 seasons
As the talks of Chennai Super Kings signing Sanju Samson from Rajasthan Royals grows, an official belonging to the five-time champions confirmed the interest.
According to a report by Cricbuzz, Samson will be a target during the trade window of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, but the official communication between both the franchises haven’t started.
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Samson has played 12 season of the IPL and 10 of them have been with Rajasthan Royals. The keeper-batter was appointed captain of the side before 2021.
“We are definitely looking at Sanju. He is an Indian batter, who is a keeper and an opener. So if he is available, we will certainly have a look at the option of having him in our fold. Who we will trade him with we have not taken that call because the matter has not gone that far. But yes, in principle, we are interested,” a CSK official told Cricbuzz.
Samson had missed important matches in the IPL 2025 due to finger injury and then a side strain. In his stead, Riyan Parag assumed captaincy duties. Rajasthan Royals finished ninth in the table, just one place above CSK.
Samson has the proven leadership qualities having led Rajasthan to the 2022 final after a gap of 14 years. With the future of three-time captain, five-time IPL winner MS Dhoni up in the air, CSK opting for a premier wicket-keeper batter like Samson seems obvious.
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However, his latest injury-laden season combined by his form that veers between too good and too bad, Samson is not the safest of signings for a franchise that values stability.
RR had paid a INR 18 crore to retain Samson last year which didn’t pay off entirely. The franchise’s full-time skipper played the first three matches only as a batter as he was recovering from a finger injury.
When he recovered fully and played as the captain, wicket-keeper and opener of the side, he suffered a side strain while trying to play a ferocious shot against Delhi Capitals and had to retire out.
The only like-for-like replacement for Samson in CSK’s books is skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad who has endured a miserable two seasons in domestic cricket and in the IPL.
After five games where CSK lost four on the trot for the first time ever and three at Chepauk for the first time as well, Gaikwad suffered an elbow injury that ruled him out of the season. MS Dhoni had to reluctantly take over the reins for the third time as the team finished bottom of the league table with only four wins.
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