Rajasthan Royals' 'Unexpected Demand' Saw Sanju Samson Trade Deal With Delhi Collapse: Report

Rajasthan Royals and India wicket-keeper batter Sanju Samson is in the news over his potential exit from the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise. Samson, who is the captain of the Rajasthan team in the T20 league, is reportedly looking for a fresh challenge, with a move to Chennai Super Kings (CSK) looking imminent. As RR and CSK discuss a trade involving Samson, with Ravindra Jadeja also a part of the deal, the Kerala lad had almost sealed a move to the Delhi Capitals, but the deal fell through at the last moment.

As per a Times of India report, Rajasthan wanted Delhi to include South Africa middle-order batter Tristan Stubbs in the deal. However, RR later asked DC to include uncapped batter Sameer Rizvi in the deal too. DC owners outrightly refused to accept this demand from RR. Hence, the deal collapsed.

The deal had progressed so far that even senior players in the Delhi camp, including a few overseas stars, were aware of it. Only an official announcement seemed to be pending before the Capitals pulled the plug. The Royals have since gotten in touch with the Super Kings for a swap between Samson and Jadeja.

Much like the case was in the deal with Delhi, Rajasthan want Chennai to include another player in the deal other than Jadeja. The names of Sam Curran and Matheesha Pathirana have been discussed so far.

Samson has been the face of Rajasthan Royals for more than a decade, representing the franchise in 11 seasons. He joined RR in 2013 and quickly became one of their key players and was retained ahead of the 2014 season, at just 19 years old.

Samson led the franchise 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.

Topics mentioned in this article

Rajasthan Royals Chennai Super Kings Delhi Capitals Sanju Samson Tristan Stubbs Sameer Rizvi Cricket