IPL 2026 Rajasthan Royals to Trade Sanju Samson and 6 Other Players

IPL 2026: There is still time in the mega auction of the IPL, but the teams have already become active to strengthen their squad. The biggest movement in this episode is being seen in the camp of Rajasthan Royals (RR). According to reports, other franchises have contacted Rajasthan Royals regarding at least six players. Rajasthan Royals themselves are also talking to other teams for players deals.

Although the team has not officially named the name of any player, but the name of Sanju Samson is most discussed among these players. Sanju, who has been a part of RR since 2013, has not only been the star player of the team for a long time, but the captaincy of the team has also been on his shoulders, but now questions are being raised about his future.

Trading race in teams

Speaking to PTI, a team Insider said, “Many franchises have contacted us about about six players of our team. We are also talking to other teams about some players. The matter is absolutely clear, every team wants to strengthen their squad, and we are thinking the same.”

This entire movement is being done under the trading window, which has opened this time from the next day of the IPL final on 4 June 2025. This window will remain open until a week before the 2026 auction. That is, franchises have a lot of time to strengthen their squad.

Sanju Samson’s name is at the forefront?

Among this players, Sanju Samson’s name is at the forefront. If Rajasthan Royals agrees to trade their captain, then it can prove to be the biggest trade in IPL history. Two teams are considered at the forefront to include Sanju in their team, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).

Sanju can be a perfect option for CSK because MS Dhoni will be 45 years old by IPL 2026 and he has already indicated that he will not play for long. Talking about KKR, they have an alternative to wicketkeeper like Quinton de Kock and Rahmanullah Gurbaz, but both have not been performing the entire season.

Rajasthan Royals have a good balance of young and experienced players. Emerging stars like Dhruv Jurlel have performed brilliantly not only in wicketkeeping but also in batting, which is being seen as a choice of Samson.

Questions arose about captaincy

Discussion has started about the captaincy of the team as soon as the question of Sanju Samson raises questions. Ryan Parag is being seen as a possible captain. He took over the team in the absence of Sanju in the last season. Although the decision to captain pollen in the presence of young Star like Yashasvi Jaiswal shocked everyone, but the franchise’s plan is not clear at the moment.

How is the player trading in IPL?

Players in IPL can be traded in three ways,

Direct Swap- Changing one team player with another team player.

All-Cash Deal- The player is given full amount to buy.

Value-Adjusted Trade- According to the value of the player, money is given by deal.

After the 2026 auction, the trading window will again open and that will continue till one month before the season starts.