In a major development, Sanju Samson has expressed his willingness to leave Rajasthan Royals ahead of IPL 2026. The Indian wicketkeeper-batter, who is also the captain of the franchise, has been one of the faces of the team over the years and this comes as a pretty surprising development for fans. However, the final decision rests in the hands of the franchise. While letting go of a player of Sanju Samson's calibre and experience is indeed going to be a massive blow for Rajasthan Royals, the news of Sanju Samson wanting to leave the franchise might interest other franchises who would be keen on having him on board ahead of IPL 2026. In this article, we shall take a look at three such teams which can sign Sanju Samson should he eventually end up leaving Rajasthan Royals. Captain Sanju Samson Seeks Exit From RR Before IPL 2026 Auction; Rajasthan Royals Yet To Decide.

Sanju Samson was among the six players that Rajasthan Royals had retained ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction. The franchise had splashed a total of 18 crore, the joint-highest they spent on a player alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal to secure his services for the next three years. However, the wicketkeeper-batter had an underwhelming IPL season, which was marred by injuries. Sanju Samson played a total of nine matches, where he scored 285 runs, including one half-century with a highest score of 66. ‘Dhruv Jurel Is New Rajasthan Royals Captain?’ Fans React to Franchise’s Social Media Post Amid Reports of Sanju Samson’s Exit Ahead of IPL 2026.

Three Teams Which Can Sign Sanju Samson

Chennai Super Kings: It is no secret that Chennai Super Kings (CSK) are interested in bringing Sanju Samson on board ahead of IPL 2026. CSK's interest in acquiring the wicketkeeper-batter was revealed in a report by Cricbuzz, which quoted an official of the club who also said that they are yet to decide who to trade him. With uncertainty looming large over MS Dhoni's IPL future, CSK might look to sign Sanju Samson who fits the same profile as that of the legendary wicketkeeper-batter and can open the innings as well.

Kolkata Knight Riders: Another franchise which might sign Sanju Samson is Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). After Phil Salt's remarkable performance at the top of the order in their title-winning campaign in IPL 2024, KKR felt his absence big time and a statistical proof of the fact that the openers failed to stitch even a single partnership worth 50 runs or more. Signing Sanju Samson can not just solve KKR's problem of having a wicketkeeper-batter at the top of the order but also have a captaincy option as the franchise might not retain Ajinkya Rahane for IPL 2026.

Delhi Capitals: Delhi Capitals might be another franchise that can sign Sanju Samson. This is purely speculative, but with KL Rahul attracting interest from other franchises, they can have Sanju Samson on board. With Sanju Samson, they will not only have a solid wicketkeeper-batter who can open the innings but also an option for captaincy in a scenario when Axar Patel.

Sanju Samson is the leading run-scorer for Rajasthan Royals in IPL history, with 4219 runs to his name in 155 appearances. Also, he had led Rajasthan Royals to the IPL final in 2022 and this was the franchise's first appearance in the summit clash since winning the title in the inaugural edition in 2008.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 08, 2025 08:40 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).