IPL 2026: Sanju Samson's trade speculation gains momentum

A potential trade deal for Sanju Samson is most certainly on the cards. Social media has been abuzz with talks of a potential trade involving him. A few days after reports emerged that Samson requested Rajasthan Royals for a trade deal or a direct release, it has been reported that the Royals themselves informed other franchises regarding their interest in releasing him.

Notably, RR's lead owner Manoj Badale has taken charge of the negotiation process, as per Cricbuzz. The same report also suggests that the British-Indian businessman has mentioned the specific players from different teams that the Royals would be interested in in place of the wicketkeeper-batter. 

It is believed that the Royals have asked for either Ruturaj Gaikwad or Ravindra Jadeja from Chennai Super Kings. However, CSK are not willing to swap either of their Indian players in place of Samson.  

As a matter of fact, CSK's management is not willing to release any player as of now. The deal of Samson to CSK remains a long way off as per mid-August. It is possible that Samson's name won't appear in the mini auction as any other franchise could also bag him before that. 

However, the chances of the 30-year-old staying with RR till the mini auction cannot be completely ruled out. For the unversed, it is up to the franchise to trade a player ahead of the auction. Samson has been with RR since IPL 2018.

As per previous reports, Samson had requested Royals for a trade since he was seeking a new direction to his IPL career. There have also been some differences between Samson and the management regarding the captaincy and the batting position.