Chennai Super Kings confirm interest in Sanju Samson before IPL 2026 auction

Dubai: There has been significant buzz recently about Sanju Samson potentially joining the Chennai Super Kings (CSK). Several social media posts have hinted that the Kerala star might be on his way out of Rajasthan Royals (RR), with strong indications pointing towards a move to CSK.

Speculation gained further traction after a senior CSK official acknowledged the franchise's interest in the Indian batter.

“We are definitely looking at Sanju. He is an Indian batter who can also keep wickets and open the innings. So if he becomes available, we will certainly consider the option of bringing him into our setup,” the official told Cricbuzz.

'We are interested'

The official, who is part of CSK’s decision-making group and spoke on condition of anonymity, added: “We haven’t yet discussed who we might trade for him, as the process hasn’t reached that stage. But yes, in principle, we are interested.”

To acquire Samson, CSK would need to trade some of their players in return. Notably, Samson was Rajasthan Royals’ No 1 retention, valued at Rs180 million.

With the IPL trading window currently open, it remains to be seen whether CSK will make a formal approach to the RR management. However, strong rumors suggest that CSK is not the only team pursuing him—at least a couple of other franchises are also believed to have contacted RR regarding a possible trade.

In the IPL 2025 season, Samson played nine matches for the Royals, scoring 285 runs, with a highest score of 66 against SunRisers Hyderabad at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium.