Star Wicketkeeper-Batter to Stay with Rajasthan Royals Despite Trade Rumors

After the end of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season, there were rumors that Indian cricketer Sanju Samson might leave Rajasthan Royals (RR) and join another team. Some reports even claimed that Chennai Super Kings (CSK) wanted him as a replacement for wicketkeeper MS Dhoni.

There were also reports that Samson could move to Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to become their new captain after their poor IPL 2025 campaign. However, it now seems that those reports were not true.

Sanju Samson to Stay with Rajasthan Royals for IPL 2026

According to a new update, Sanju Samson will not leave Rajasthan Royals and will continue as the captain for the IPL 2026 season. A source close to the team told the Times of India that RR is not planning to trade Samson or any other player at the moment.

"RR have decided not to trade Samson or any of their players for now. Samson is very much a part of the Royals set-up and the undisputed captain of the team," TOI quoted a source as saying.

Also Read -London Spirit crumble on opening night as new owners watch on

Samson’s Journey with Rajasthan Royals

Sanju Samson has been with Rajasthan Royals for a long time. He first played for them in 2013 and has been an important part of the team since then. He moved to Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) during the 2016 and 2017 seasons when RR was banned for two years.

The IPL 2025 season was not good for Samson or RR. He missed the first three matches because of a finger injury, during which Riyan Parag captained the team. Samson played only nine matches after returning and scored 285 runs with just one fifty. Rajasthan Royals also struggled and finished ninth on the points table.

This Was His Performance in IPL 2025

Sanju Samson could not play the full IPL 2025 season because of an injury. He played 9 matches last season and scored 285 runs, which included 1 half-century. Speculation about Sanju Samson joining Chennai Super Kings started when his agent, Prashobh Sudevanan, liked a social media post suggesting that the 30-year-old Samson could move to CSK.