Former Chennai Super Kings batter Subramaniam Badrinath has weighed in on the swirling trade rumors concerning Sanju Samson and tied them closely to Riyan Parag’s captaincy prospects at Rajasthan Royals. Badrinath suggested that the franchise’s possible interest in grooming Riyan Parag as captain may be a key factor behind Samson’s potential exit after a decade with the team. According to reports from Cricbuzz, Sanju Samson has found himself pushed to the No. 3 batting position due to the impressive rise of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Vaibhav Suryavanshi as openers, a spot that Samson reportedly is reluctant to occupy. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Badrinath stated, “I feel Riyan Parag is the reason. If you consider him for captaincy, how do you expect someone like Samson to stay?”
Last season, an injury sidelined Samson for some matches, during which all-rounder Riyan Parag took over captaincy duties. However, the Royals struggled and finished ninth in the points table, reflecting a difficult campaign under Parag’s leadership.
Regarding the possibility of Samson transferring to Chennai Super Kings, Badrinath questioned where Samson would fit into CSK’s already well-established batting order. While he acknowledged Samson as an ideal like-for-like replacement for the retiring MS Dhoni, Badrinath also said, “Samson is a batter who can bat in the top three or four spots in the batting order. He is not someone who could fit in the number five or six spot in the playing XI. CSK are strong in those areas of the playing XI. Mhatre is settled, Gaikwad is settled, Brevis is settled.”
He also expressed skepticism about CSK making a trade similar to MI’s acquisition of Hardik Pandya from GT, adding: “So even if Sanju Samson comes in, the question remains whether CSK can fit him into the playing XI.”
In summary, Badrinath links Samson’s possible move away from Rajasthan Royals to the franchise’s leadership transition involving Riyan Parag’s captaincy prospects, alongside questions about Samson’s batting position preferences and the challenges of fitting into the Chennai Super Kings lineup if a trade happens.In IPL 2025, Sanju Samson played 9 matches and scored a total of 285 runs in 9 innings. His highest score during the season was 66. He recorded 1 half-century and maintained an average of about 35.6 with a strike rate of approximately 140.4.