Not Riyan Parag, These 2 Stars Among Shortlisted To Be RR Captain If Sanju Samson Leaves: Report

One potentially high-profile transfer that might take place ahead of the IPL 2026 auction is that of Sanju Samson leaving Rajasthan Royals for Chennai Super Kings. While there has been no official confirmation regarding the move, several reports suggest that franchises have held initial discussions with the players involved. To complete the process, both CSK and RR must submit an expression of interest to the IPL Governing Council, naming the three players involved in the potential deal. Once the players give their written consent, the franchises can finalise the agreement, which will then need to be ratified by the governing council, according to ESPNcricinfo.

Sanju Samson has been the face of Rajasthan Royals for more than a decade, representing the franchise in 11 seasons. According to a report in TOI, wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel and Team India opener Yashasvi Jaiswal are two likely picks for the captain's post if Samson indeed leaves.

Having joined RR in 2013, he quickly became one of their key players and was retained ahead of the 2014 season at just 19 years old.

After RR's two-year suspension (2016-17), Samson returned in 2018 and took over the captaincy in 2021. Under his leadership and with the guidance of team director Kumar Sangakkara, RR reached the IPL final in 2022 - their first appearance since winning the inaugural edition in 2008.

Samson led the team in 67 matches, winning and losing 33 each. He had his best IPL season in 2024, scoring 531 runs at an average of 48.27 and a strike rate of 153.47. He was retained for Rs 18 crore ahead of the 2025 season, but a side injury midway through the campaign ruled him out of the second half of the tournament. RR's form collapsed, and they lost several close matches, finishing ninth out of ten.

Samson remains RR's all-time leading run-scorer with 4,027 runs, holds the joint-most 50-plus scores (25), and has taken the most catches (149) for the franchise. After the 2025 season, he informed RR management that he wanted a change, prompting the team to explore trade options with other franchises.

On the other hand, Ravindra Jadeja has been an integral part of the Chennai Super Kings since joining them in 2012. Apart from the two years when CSK were suspended, Jadeja has been part of the franchise's core for over a decade, contributing to three of their five IPL titles.

He was retained for Rs 18 crore ahead of the 2025 mega auction as CSK's second-choice player after captain Ruturaj Gaikwad. The all-rounder has played 254 IPL matches - the fifth-most in tournament history - and is CSK's leading wicket-taker with 143 scalps, including a best of 5/16.

Jadeja's most memorable moment came in the 2023 IPL final, when his last-over heroics against the Gujarat Titans sealed the title for CSK. It was also his best bowling season, taking 20 wickets, followed by another solid batting performance in 2025, where he scored 301 runs with two fifties.

Interestingly, RR was Jadeja's first IPL team; he made his debut for them in 2008 as a 19-year-old and was part of their title-winning squad that year. Jadeja played for RR for the first two seasons but was suspended in 2010 by the IPL for trying to negotiate a contract with the Mumbai Indians directly, which violated league rules. After the ban, Jadeja featured for Kochi Tuskers in 2011.

England all-rounder Sam Curran has had a roller-coaster IPL career. After starting with Punjab Kings in 2019, he joined CSK in 2020 and 2021, before returning to Punjab in 2023 as the most expensive IPL player ever at Rs 18.5 crore. CSK re-signed him in 2025 for Rs 2.4 crore. He scored 114 runs and took one wicket in five matches.

Topics mentioned in this article

Sanju Samson Rajasthan Royals Chennai Super Kings Cricket