CSK reject RR's demand of Ruturaj & Jadeja in lieu of Sanju Samson in trade ahead of IPL 2026 - Reports

Sanju Samson was retained by RR ahead of IPL 2025 for INR 18 crores.

Talks about Sanju Samson’s likely departure from Rajasthan Royals (RR) ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 mini auction are heating up. According to a Cricbuzz report, Chennai Super Kings (CSK), the team most closely associated with the controversy, were approached for a trade but quickly rejected RR’s offer to swap their skipper for one of three players.

Manoj Badale, the franchise’s primary owner, has personally contacted all nine other IPL clubs and is leading the negotiations days after it was initially reported that Samson had formally asked the Royals to release or move him due to growing rifts in their relationship.

The report stated that Sanju Samson is unlikely to enter IPL 2026 mini auction as multiple franchises have shown interest in signing him directly. Notably, RR had retained Sanju Samson for INR 18 crores ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction.

RR’s Manoj Badale asks for Ruturaj Gaikwad and Ravindra Jadeja/Shivam Dube from CSK in trade for Sanju Samson

As per the Cricbuzz report, the commotion is that in return for Samson, Badale has even listed the names of particular players from other teams that the Royals are interested in. There is even speculation that the Royals are either nearing or have already reached an agreement with one of them.

Details have mostly remained confidential because the letters were issued directly to franchise owners. A possible trade with CSK, which has been the subject of much conjecture in recent days, is reportedly unlikely since the Royals are thought to have requested either Ruturaj Gaikwad or Ravindra Jadeja, both of which are deal-breaking demands that the Super Kings are unwilling to accept.

The name of Shivam Dube has also surfaced in various places, but CSK are also hesitant to let go of the all-rounder from India. According to reports, CSK management and officials are very hesitant to let go of any of their players.

However, Samson remained respectfully silent about the alleged discrepancies. He actually stated that RR system means a lot to him in a recent podcast with former Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin.

Two hundreds and 23 fifties have helped Samson accumulate 4027 runs in his 149 IPL games for RR. He is the team’s top scorer and the only player in the league to score over 4,000 runs for the Jaipur-based team.

Samson is the most successful captain of RR, having led the team in 67 games and won 33 of them.

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