IPL 2026: Where will Sanju Samson go as Rajasthan Receives Enquiries from Multiple Franchisees

IPL 2026: Where will Sanju Samson go as Rajasthan Receives Enquiries from Multiple Franchisees

Over the past few days, we've all received information from multiple sources that there is a potential trade between the Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings for the wicketkeeper Sanju Samson. Some sources even speculate that Sanju has decided to move to a new, larger franchisee. However, an interesting twist is emerging, as we are learning that several other franchisees are also interested in Sanju Samson. 

As the information of Sanju Samson's demand went public, it is expected that there could be a significant price war off the table for Sanju Samson's acquisition through the trade window. More than any other Franchisee, Chennai Super Kings are more likely to lead this trade, as there appears to be mutual interest from both the Franchisee and the Sanju to join hands for the upcoming season.

In this regard, a CSK official has recently given some information on the ongoing buzz when asked about Sanju’s entry into the CSK. The official said, 

"We are definitely looking at Sanju. He is an Indian batter who is a keeper and an opener. So if he is available, we will certainly have a look at the option of having him in our fold. Who we will trade him with, we have not taken that call because the matter has not gone that far. But yes, in principle, we are interested,"

There is one even bigger question that if CSK and RR decides to go further with the deal, who It could be the player from CSK, who will be traded to the Rajasthan Royals; if you see, Sanju Samson was the first retention of the Rajasthan Royals last year and was retained for Rs. 18 crore. If we look for a similar stature player in Chennai, it will be Ruturaj Gaikwad, but CSK has already made it clear early in the year that they will stick with Ruturaj as a long-term leader.

There can also be an all-cash deal, but that kind of deal would give a significant blow to Chennai Super Kings as they can put brake on their auction ambitions and if it happens, the deal could be one of the highest trade deals in IPL history. Besides that, there is information that CSK has yet to formally approach Rajasthan Royals. At the same time, credible reports indicate that, apart from CSK, several other Franchisees have approached RR for Sanju Samson.

Although there is still plenty of time for a real deal to happen, as the IPL 2026 auction is still at least six months away, these kinds of trade typically happen just before the auction. Nevertheless, let's take a look at the rules and regulations regarding player trading in the IPL.

The trading window for all teams opened seven days after the completion of IPL 2025, and it will remain open until a week prior to the IPL 2026 player auction. There will also be another phase of the trading window, which will open a week after the auction and will remain open until 30 days before the IPL 2026 season.

Let's review some of the rules regarding player trading in the Indian Premier League. 

Rules suggest that there must not be trading of players acquired in the recent IPL auction, and therefore, they cannot be traded during the second trading window before the season for the player acquired in that auction. Another rule also suggests that obtaining an NOC from the relevant bodies is necessary if the player is from a foreign country.

Rules clearly state that negotiations between the selling and buying Franchisees should solely revolve around the league fee, and no other separate payments can be made to the Franchisee or the player involved, except for the league fees.

Additionally, rules indicate that the league fee paid to the player by the buying Franchisee will be deducted from their salary purse for the season. If there are any other fees paid by the buying Franchisee to the selling Franchisee after negotiations, and these are explicitly mentioned in the contract, such fees will not be deducted from the Franchisee's salary purse.

One rule also states that a player can only be traded once in a particular season.If the selling Franchisee receives interest from multiple buying Franchisees, they can negotiate a deal with all those stakeholders, which may result in an increase or decrease from the player's previous season's price.If there is an increase after negotiation, the additional amount will be shared between the player and the selling Franchisee based on their personal negotiation, but it should be clearly specified in the contract shared with the BCCI. The player will receive both the fixed portion and the part of the increased amount. 

If there is a reduction in the league fee for the player, the selling Franchisee must pay the negotiated decrease to the buying Franchisee, and that amount will be valid for only one season. Player will enter into a new Player Contract with the buying Franchisee for the next season, maintaining the same league fee as in their existing contract. The buying Franchisee will pay the original league fee to ensure that the player is not worse off as a result of the trade, and BCCI approval will be needed for any trades negotiated with a decrease.

Also Read: IPL 2026: Full List of Released Players by All 10 Teams Ahead of Mini Auction