Updated on: Oct 30, 2025 07:24 am IST
Sanju Samson’s future at Rajasthan Royals remained uncertain as IPL 2026 retention buzz grew ahead of the December mini-auction.
With just over a month left before the mini-auction for the 2026 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL), the buzz around the IPL retentions has once again gathered pace. BCCI has yet to set an official deadline for all 10 franchises to announce their retention list, but it has been rumoured that the auction for next year’s IPL will be held in December. But the cynosure has been Sanju Samson and his future at the Rajasthan Royals.
Earlier, a Cricbuzz report claimed that Samson himself approached the Rajasthan Royals management after the end of the IPL 2025, stating that he wanted to leave the franchise and urged them to either release or trade him. Not only was this asserted by members of his family, but a few players close to him in the IPL circuit also mentioned that the relationship between Samson and the franchise had turned sour. It added that, based on the contract, which will end after the 2027 season, Rajasthan can still retain him, and Samson has little recourse. But franchises also prefer a happy dressing room.
Hence, the inaugural champions went out in search of a suitable trade deal. Amid the rumours, Chennai Super Kings emerged as favourites. But the rumours of Samson moving to Chennai, which made quite some sense given that the team has long been in search of a replacement for MS Dhoni, were quashed by franchise officials, according to a latest report in Money Control.
The report also mentioned that if Samson is retained by Rajasthan, which hinges entirely on Manoj Badale, the Royals’ principal owner, there is a possibility that he may no longer serve as captain. Riyan Parag, who filled in the role on a few occasions last season when Samson was nursing an injury, emerged as a strong candidate to replace the wicketkeeper-batter. Sources also told the website that Yashasvi Jaiswal is being considered a strong candidate for captaincy.
Samson’s association with the Rajasthan Royals dated back to 2013, right after he was released by the Kolkata Knight Riders. Overall, he played 149 innings in the IPL for the Royals, scoring 4,219 runs with 26 fifties and two centuries. He had been leading the team since 2021, after taking over the reins from Steve Smith.
