Sanju Samson a wanted man in franchise cricket with more than one franchise other than CSK registering interest.
Franchise interest in Sanju Samson extends beyond CSK.
There seems to be more to the escalating rumours connecting Sanju Samson to the Chennai Super Kings than just idle conjecture on social media. The CSK team is reportedly amenable to accepting the batter-keeper into their fold, according to many sources. However, some other teams are as well.
A senior CSK official acknowledged interest in Samson but stated that no official correspondence with the Rajasthan Royals’ management has yet to be started.
“We are definitely looking at Sanju. He is an Indian batter, who is a keeper and an opener. So if he is available, we will certainly have a look at the option of having him in our fold. Who we will trade him with we have not taken that call because the matter has not gone that far. But yes, in principle, we are interested,” the CSK official, involved in the decision-making process, told.
Selecting which player to trade in exchange will be the true conundrum. At Rs 18 crore, Samson was the Royals’ top retain. Captain Ruturaj Gaikwad, whose retention price is likewise Rs 18 crore, may be the subject of a similar trade-off. But Stephen Fleming, the head coach of CSK, has often said in public that Gaikwad was chosen as captain with a long-term goal in mind.
CSK calling a trade is not something that has happened very often in IPL history. Prior to the 2021 season, the team made a noteworthy move by acquiring Robin Uthappa from the Rajasthan Royals. It was an all-cash, one-way transaction.
It remains to be seen if CSK will formally approach the RR management within the current trading window (see below), but there are strong rumours that, in addition to CSK, a few other teams have also approached the Royals for Samson.
In the meantime, head coach Rahul Dravid was present at the Royals management’s IPL 18 season review conference, which was concluded last week in London. It is believed that it considered the requests for several players, not just Samson, from several franchises.