Sanju Samson wants out from Rajasthan Royals, asks to be traded from the franchise with final call on the Royals.
Sanju Samson asks to be released by Rajasthan Royals ahead of IPL 2026 auction.
Sanju Samson, the captain of the Rajasthan Royals, has informed the team that he wishes to be released before to the 2026 IPL auction. As soon as the IPL 2025 concluded, Samson communicated his intention to the RR management.
RR has yet to provide Samson with a definitive response, and the possibility of persuading him to remain with the organisation remains open. RR held its 2025 season review meetings in June. When questioned about the development, Manoj Badale, the franchise’s principal owner, remained silent. He will make the ultimate choice in consultation with Rahul Dravid, the head coach of RR.
Samson could be traded to another team or put up for auction if RR decides to let him go. The franchise has the last word under the terms of the IPL contract. A player swap or an all-cash transaction could be considered a trade.
After two years with the Delhi Daredevils, the 30-year-old Samson returned to RR in 2018 after playing for them for three seasons from the 2013–2015 IPL. In 2022, he guided RR to the IPL final for the first time since they won the first edition in 2008 after being named captain in 2021. However, before to the 2025 megaauction, two of their most important players—Jos Buttler and Yuzvendra Chahal, who took home the Orange and Purple caps in 2022—were released.
Prior to last year’s massive auction, RR kept six players, including Samson, for INR 18 crore ($2.14 million at the time). Shimron Hetmyer, Dhruv Jurel, Sandeep Sharma, Parag, and Yashasvi Jaiswal were the other players kept. Due to a side strain, Samson only participated in nine of RR’s 14 IPL 2025 games; Riyan Parag took over as captain.With only four victories, they came in ninth.
Samson is presently undergoing a standard training program at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, which is intended for a certain group of players who have been shortlisted by the national selectors. He is probably going to be selected for the Asia Cup, which begins on September 9 in the United Arab Emirates. Prior to that, Samson will participate in a few games in the Kerala Cricket League, where he was recently selected for INR 26.8 lakh by the Kochi Blue Tigers, making him the most costly player in the competition.
Before the IPL’s retention deadline in November, RR has two more months to decide on Samson.