Following the conclusion of the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) season, speculation surrounding a potential transfer for Sanju Samson is only growing. Reports indicate that the Rajasthan Royals (RR) have initiated negotiations with several franchises after Samson, the team's captain, expressed his desire to leave. Meanwhile, the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have emerged as a strong contender, with the five-time champions reportedly showing interest in acquiring the star wicketkeeper-batter.
R Ashwin claims Sanju Samson's trade to CSK won't happen
According to a report from The Indian Express, Samson met with members of the CSK management and head coach Stephen Fleming during the Major League Cricket season in the United States. Initially, CSK was reportedly open to an all-cash trade deal to bring the 30-year-old to Chepauk. However, this has been complicated by the Rajasthan Royals' preference for a player-exchange trade involving two CSK players instead of a cash deal. This differs from CSK's previous trading practices, such as their all-cash acquisition of Robin Uthappa from Rajasthan ahead of the 2021 season.
Amidst these developments, Samson's former teammate Ravichandran Ashwin, who has also reportedly expressed his interest in leaving the CSK franchise, has weighed in on the situation. On the ongoing RR-CSK rumours, Ashwin suggested that the highly anticipated move for Samson to Chepauk might not happen before the 2026 IPL season.
“Why the CSK-RR trade won’t work is because if Sanju is traded to CSK, and RR then try to trade with other teams, they’re unlikely to get valuable players in return. For example, if RR want a spinner like Ravi Bishnoi and approach LSG, the problem is that if LSG acquire Sanju and give away Bishnoi, they also have to manage the remaining purse required to retain Sanju — which becomes LSG’s responsibility,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
Ashwin, who announced his retirement from Tests during Border-Gavaskar Trophy, further elaborated on the potential trade, explaining that CSK are typically not inclined to trade players. He stated that it is highly unlikely they would agree to give up players valued at Rs 18 crore to match a deal for Sanju Samson.
“CSK generally don’t believe in trading. They aren’t going to trade players like Ravindra Jadeja or Shivam Dube. So, in all likelihood, Sanju coming to CSK is bleak, for the reasons I’ve explained. RR don’t have much to gain from this kind of trade,” Ashwin added.
In the recent development to the ongoing trade talks, a Cricbuzz report has shed light on the specific demands made by the Rajasthan Royals. According to the report, the Royals are seeking a blockbuster return for their captain, Sanju Samson, and have asked for one of three key CSK players: captain Ruturaj Gaikwad, veteran all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, or power-hitter Shivam Dube. This ambitious proposal, however, has reportedly been met with a firm rejection from the Chennai-based franchise. CSK consider all three players to be essential to their core team and is unwilling to part with them, effectively creating a major roadblock in any potential trade negotiations.