Sanju Samson is rumoured to be joining CSK via a sensational trade

Samson unhappy with the Royals’ management

There have been multiple reports doing the rounds that Sanju Samson is unhappy with the management at the Royals. The wicketkeeper batter started the season playing as a pure batter while nursing an injury on his thumb. In those games, it was Riyan Parag who led the side. 

In the Indian cricket team, Samson’s last few games have seen him batting at the top of the order as an opening batter. In order to make his case stronger as an opener, Samson continued to open the innings. However, he was injured once again in the tournament, which gave Vaibhav Suryavanshi a chance to open the innings. The young 14-year-old prodigy grabbed the opportunity with both hands and scored the second-fastest century in the IPL. 

When the IPL resumed after a one-week suspension, Samson was back in the squad. However, owing to Suryanvanshi’s success at the top of the order, he had to bat at number three. Not having the opportunity to open the innings will certainly hamper his chances of making it into the Indian team. 

Apart from his own batting position, there were a few more decisions that made Samson unhappy with the management at RR. One of the major reasons behind the wicketkeeper’s gloomy relationship with the management is said to be the decisions regarding player retentions. He was baffled to learn that Jos Buttler and Trent Boult were let go by the franchise ahead of the mega auction.

Samson to CSK: Here we go?

While player trades seldom happen in the Indian Premier League, there are chances that Sanju Samson could make a move to the five-time champions, Chennai Super Kings. CSK’s mega star, MS Dhoni, has possibly played his last season in the IPL. With Dhoni leaving the centre stage, the Yellow Army will be looking at possible players who could be crowd pullers. 

Sanju hails from Trivandrum, Kerala, but enjoys huge popularity in the Southern region. Not only is he one of the better leaders around the league, but Samson also has a great connection with the fans and is a premier top-order batter. His inclusion in the side could solve a lot of batting woes for the Super Kings, which were evident in IPL 2025. 

The rumours started to flare up when recently Samson’s manager, Prashob Sudevan, liked a viral post on Instagram that suggested that CSK management approached the 30-year-old for a possible trade. Meanwhile, no official announcement has been made by either of the two teams regarding the trade. But it could be one of the biggest moments between the two IPL seasons if the transfer is indeed made. Samson could follow Hardik Pandya’s path when he was traded to MI after leading GT with a great deal of success. 

A rift between Dravid and Samson?

Rahul Dravid, having coached the Indian team to glory in the T20 World Cup, returned to the IPL and joined his former team as a head coach. Dravid played for RR in 46 games between 2011 and 2013. He has been a decorated coach in the history of Indian cricket and has led the U-19 teams with distinction as well.

The former right-handed batter is known for his calm demeanour and long-term thinking. However, Samson is of the thought process that wants immediate results. Knowing that he is not getting any younger, it is natural for the wicketkeeper to think about leading his team to some glory sooner rather than later. 

It is reported that the decision to bank on younger players instead of backing seasoned pros like Jos Buttler, Trent Boult, and Yuzvendra Chahal left Samson in distraught. He expressed his emotions with the retentions and was unhappy with the team combination selected at the auctions. 

It is hard to believe any rumours regarding a rift between the two Royals, given the relationship they already share. It was under Dravid’s captaincy that Samson made his debut in the IPL. While Samson did not play a single game in the T20 World Cup 2024, he was part of the team with Dravid as the coach.