Former Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) batter Robin Uthappa has expressed his opinion on a potential trade involving Sanju Samson ahead of IPL 2026. With reports suggesting Samson has requested to be released by RR before the upcoming mini-auction, Uthappa believes that CSK will need to offer more than just one player to secure the services of the wicketkeeper-batter.
“The CSK for sure. If they are able to get him and if they are able to snap him up, then it’ll do really well for him. I think the transition of MS Dhoni to the next wicketkeeper, they already have in Sanju, so that is already taken care of. Otherwise, they would have to look at, say, at this point, say Devon Conway as a wicketkeeping option. But if he comes onboard, there is a lot of good that can happen for CSK,” Uthappa said on his YouTube channel.
According to Uthappa, to get Samson, CSK might have to trade both Ravichandran Ashwin and Vijay Shankar to Rajasthan Royals. He said, “What they don’t have? They only have Shimron Hetmyer at six. They don’t have a finisher at number six or seven. Maybe Sam Curran. Vijay Shankar could be the one who goes with Ashwin as well. That could happen. He’s a pretty decent bowler, but they haven’t utilised him.”
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Uthappa also reasons that Rajasthan Royals may be willing to let Samson go since the young talent pool in their team is strong. “I think perhaps Rajasthan also feel Sanju doesn’t want to be there anymore, so if a player doesn’t want to be there, why do we have to keep him? Give him what he wants. In that sense, I think it makes sense for them,” he added.
Earlier reports indicate that Sanju Samson has asked Rajasthan Royals to release him ahead of the IPL 2026 mini-auction in December. CSK is reportedly interested in bringing Samson in as a potential long-term replacement for the aging MS Dhoni, whose future in the league remains uncertain. Simultaneously, rumors have surfaced about Ravichandran Ashwin potentially leaving CSK before the next season, fueling speculation about a trade deal. While Ashwin was bought back by CSK for ₹9.75 crore in last year’s auction and Vijay Shankar earns ₹1.2 crore, Samson was retained by RR for ₹18 crore in IPL 2025. Thus, to balance the trade financially, CSK may have to offer both players plus additional funds to Rajasthan Royals.
It remains uncertain whether the two players will be traded directly or if they might be released by their franchises to enter the auction pool, giving other teams the opportunity to sign them.