Sanju Samson Set to Leave Rajasthan Royals Ahead of IPL 2026

Apart from Chennai Super Kings, Kolkata Knight Riders could be the other team interested in Sanju Samson, ahead of the 2026 IPL season.

Sanju Samson Set to Leave Rajasthan Royals Ahead of IPL 2026

Sanju Samson could depart Rajasthan Royals, ahead of the 2026 IPL season. (via Mint)

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Rumors are rife that Rajasthan Royals skipper Sanju Samson is reportedly unhappy with the team management, and could leave the franchise ahead of 2026 IPL. Samson has reportedly requested the franchise for a transfer, in hopes of playing elsewhere in the upcoming season. 

Sanju Samson, who had led Rajasthan Royals since 2021, is seemingly upset with the franchise following the end of the 2025 IPL season, where the team finished a dismal ninth on the table. The 30-year-old only managed to play in nine of 14 matches due to a series of injuries, including one that he sustained on his right index finger. It initially limited him to playing as a specialist batter, before he was later sidelined with an abdominal injury.

Samson’s appearances with the team, thereafter remained limited, with him only managing to score 285 runs throughout the 2025 IPL season, at an average of 35.63 and a decent strike-rate of 140.39, hitting only one half-century. For a player who has scored over 4,000 runs in the IPL, and 350+ runs in each of the last five seasons, the 2025 edition was a rather quiet one.

Differences between Samson and the RR management, including head coach Rahul Dravid, emerged midway through the season. Several reports at the time claimed that Samson was absent from team training sessions at times, and seemed uninterested in interacting with Dravid. It even prompted the RR head coach to publicly address the issue, stating that there was no discord between the two.

While Dravid had tried to settle the matter by suggesting that Samson would remain an integral part of the franchise, the discord seems to be unresolved. Recent reports suggest that the wicket-keeper batter has formally requested RR to be traded to another IPL team or released into the upcoming 2026 IPL auction, despite him being retained by the team for a hefty INR 18 crores ahead of the 2025 auction.

Further reports suggest that the reason for Samson’s dissatisfaction is the lack of freedom to choose his batting position as an opener, after being moved to No. 3 last season for a few games, following the emergence of the 14-year-old prodigy Vaibhav Suryavanshi. Additionally, many have pointed to the team management’s increasing preference for all-rounder Riyan Parag as the new RR captain, as another reason for Samson’s discontent.

Amid the uncertainty, a potential new destination has emerged for Samson, in Chennai Super Kings. CSK are reportedly in search of an opener for the upcoming IPL season to bat alongside young Ayush Mhatre, and are also looking for a long-term replacement for their aging legend, MS Dhoni.

Will Sanju Samson Reclaim His Role as India’s Opener for the 2025 Asia Cup?

Indian wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson is likely to reclaim his role as India’s opener for the upcoming 2025 Asia Cup, which will be held in the UAE and played in the T20I format. Samson could open the innings for the Men in Blue in the continental mega-event.

Sanju Samson Asia Cup
Sanju Samson could reclaim his place as India’a opener alongside Abhishek Sharma, at the upcoming Asia Cup. (via ESPN Cricinfo)

The 30-year-old previously enjoyed success while opening for India in T20Is, even becoming the first player to score three centuries in the shortest format in a single calendar year, with two of those coming against South Africa in a four-match T20I series last November. Samson has scored a total of 861 runs for India in the shortest format at an average of 25.32, hitting three hundreds and two half-centuries.

Furthermore, he is expected to be the primary wicketkeeper for the Asia Cup, ahead of Rishabh Pant, Dhruv Jurel, or Jitesh Sharma. His potential opening partnership with Abhishek Sharma will, however, face competition from Shubman Gill–Yashasvi Jaiswal, or KL Rahul–Sai Sudharsan.