Speculation is rife about Samson's future at Rajasthan Royals
CSK are 'favourites' to land the wicketkeeper-batter
Sanju Samson, 30, joined Rajasthan Royals in 2013
Amidst strong speculation about his future with the Rajasthan Royals, Sanju Samson, the wicketkeeper-batter, spoke about how his long association with the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise has transformed his life and career. It has been widely speculated that Samson has asked the Royals to relieve him ahead of the next IPL player auction. If that indeed happens, it will mark the end of an association that first started in 2013.
"RR has meant the world to me. A small child coming from a village in Kerala, wanting to show his talent. And then Rahul Dravid sir and Manoj Badale sir gave me a stage to get up and show the world what I am made of," Samson told former India spinner R Ashwin in his YouTube show.
As reported by PTI on Friday, Ashwin himself has been in discussion with Chennai Super Kings for a possible move on, and the five-time champions have been spoken about as a likely destination for Samson as well.
Sanju Samson, 30, joined Rajasthan Royals in 2013 and became captain in 2021, leading the team to the IPL final in 2022. He has played over 120 matches for the franchise, scoring more than 3,000 runs. Rajasthan Royals retained Samson for INR 14 crore ahead of the 2022 mega auction, making him one of the highest-paid Indian players in the league.
The franchise’s decision to back Samson as captain marked a shift in their leadership strategy, focusing on nurturing young Indian talent. His potential departure would end an 11-year association, one of the longest for any IPL player with a single team.
Samson Credits Rajasthan Royals, Gambhir, And Yadav For Support
"That time, they trusted me throughout. The journey with RR has been really great, and I’m very grateful to have been in a franchise like that. It really means a lot to me," Samson added, highlighting the importance of Rajasthan Royals in his cricketing journey.
His IPL future might be a subject of intense debate now, but the thirty-year-old seemed to have finally found some stability in his international career, especially after the T20 World Cup 2024. Samson hit three T20I hundreds in five matches against Bangladesh and South Africa last year, underlining his growing consistency as a top-order batter.
The Kerala batter thanked head coach Gautam Gambhir and then skipper Suryakumar Yadav for their unstinted support in the Indian cricket team.
"The change happened after the T20 World Cup (2024). Gautam bhai came in, and Surya came in as the captain. I was playing a Duleep Trophy game in Andhra. Surya was playing for the other team. He told me, 'There is a good opportunity coming up for you. We have seven (T20I) games (vs Bangladesh and South Africa) lined up, and I am going to give you all seven games as an opener,'" said Samson.
Samson’s international resurgence aligns with a broader shift in India’s T20 selection policy, emphasising consistent opportunities for fringe players. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) introduced a rotation system after the 2022 T20 World Cup, aiming to test bench strength across bilateral series.
Gambhir's Confidence Boosted Samson's Performance
The current Royals skipper also remembered the backing from Gambhir. "The words coming out from the captain's mouth itself actually felt, Oh wow, great. I played two games in Sri Lanka but was unable to score runs. I was a bit down in the dressing room, and Gautam bhai came up to me and asked what had happened. I said, 'After a long time, I got a chance, but I failed to capitalise.' He said, 'So what? I'll drop you if you register 21 ducks.' That's the word which he used," he said.
Samson said those words boosted his confidence. "That kind of confidence from the captain and the coach has definitely raised my confidence. That really helped me to go out there and perform," he added, reflecting on his improved performance in international cricket.
Speculation Over Samson's IPL Future And Rajasthan Royals
Speculation continues regarding Sanju Samson's future with Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League, especially ahead of the IPL auction. The possibility of a move to another franchise, such as the Chennai Super Kings, has been widely discussed in IPL news circles.
Player transfers in the Indian Premier League have increased since the introduction of the trading window in 2018. In the 2023 IPL season, a record number of players were traded between franchises before the auction. The BCCI has formalised transfer protocols, allowing capped and uncapped players to move with mutual consent.
