Rajasthan Royals captain Sanju Samson has decided to leave the franchise. According to reports, 30-year-old from Kerala has formally asked the team to trade or release him before the IPL 2026 auctions. Notably, Samson is RR’s most capped player, highest run-scorer, and most successful captain.

Talks Begin with Chennai Super Kings

The very next day, Indian Express revealed that Chennai Super Kings are interested in signing Samson. In fact, after IPL 2025 ended, Samson met CSK’s management and head coach Stephen Fleming in the United States.

Furthermore, the report stated, “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.”

Kolkata Knight Riders Join the Race

In addition, Kolkata Knight Riders are also keen to sign Samson. However, sources suggest he wants to move to Chennai for “multiple reasons.” Interestingly, Samson was part of KKR’s squad in 2012 when they won the title under Gautam Gambhir, but he never played a match.

As a result, Indian Express noted, “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.”

Samson’s IPL Career Highlights

Since making his IPL debut in 2013, Samson has played 177 matches for Rajasthan Royals and Delhi Capitals, scoring 4,704 runs. Moreover, he has hit three centuries and 26 fifties in the tournament. Under his captaincy, RR reached the IPL final in 2022.

So far, Samson has led RR in 67 matches and won 33. Importantly, the franchise retained him for ₹18 crore ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction.