CSK ‘definitely looking’ at potential Sanju Samson trade from Rajasthan Royals: Report
New Delhi: Indian wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson is increasingly seemed to be heading away from the pink of the Rajasthan Royals as not just the Chennai Super Kings, whose rumours and reports have been running overtime, a few other franchises are interested in the package the 30-year-old offers. As per a Cricbuzz report, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have confirmed their interest in the wicket-keeper batter in the ongoing trading window, which opened a week after the edition of the 18th edition of the IPL.
“We are definitely looking at Sanju. He is an Indian batter, who is a keeper and an opener,” a CSK official was quoted as saying in the report. “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,” the CSK official added.
The speculations were rife even during the IPL 2025 when Samson was on the sidelines nursing, first a thumb injury and then a side strain, that all wasn’t well between him and the new team management headed by the coach Rahul Dravid. However, Dravid was quick to quash those reports in one of the pressers during the season.
Samson has been Rajasthan Royals’ skipper since 2021 and even though Riyan Parag led the side in half of the season, if he stays, the experienced wicket-keeper batter will continue to lead the side. However, CSK might not be in the mood to change their skipper with Stephen Fleming, the franchise head coach, iterating again and again that he was picked as the leader with a long-term vision.
Samson made a return to the Indian T20I team last year and hasn’t looked back since, smashing three centuries in five matches. The right-hander was the top retention at INR 18 crore by the Royals, and if he indeed is being looked at seriously by the Super Kings, the five-time champions will have to clean up their purse a bit unless there’s a barter.
The first trade window opened a week after the IPL 2025 ended and will continue until a week before the player auction. The second begins immediately after the player auction but will only apply to the players who were retained prior. The second trading window will close a month before the start of the new season of the IPL.
