Who Will Replace Sanju Samson? 5 Batters RR Could Target in IPL 2026 Mini Auction
Rajasthan Royals captain Sanju Samson has reportedly told the team management that he wants to leave before the IPL 2026 season. As per reports, things haven’t been smooth between Samson and the franchise, and he has decided he doesn’t want to play for the Royals anymore.
If Samson’s reported exit from Royals comes to fruition, the inaugural IPL champions will lose one of their most loyal superstars and their captain as well. The side will be keen on finding a replacement for him in the upcoming auction of the tournament.
Possible replacements for Sanju Samson in the Rajasthan Royals squad
Steve Smith
Steve Smith is known as one of the most technically skilled batters in modern cricket. He brings great stability to the middle order and has a sharp cricketing mind. Although there are no clear reports linking him to the Royals, his vast experience and leadership skills could make him a strong option to guide the team’s batting and possibly even take on a leadership role.
| Year | Mat | No | Runs | HS | Avg | SR | 100 | 50 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Career | 103 | 21 | 2485 | 101* | 34.51 | 128.09 | 1 | 11 |
Finn Allen
One of the biggest surprises of the IPL 2025 mega auction was seeing New Zealand wicketkeeper-batter Finn Allen go unsold. Famous for his hard-hitting style, he had kept his base price at INR 2 crore, but no team picked him.
Allen showed his batting power in the Big Bash League (BBL) 2024-25 while playing for Perth Scorchers, scoring 181 runs in 10 matches at a blistering strike rate of 184. His fearless batting at the top makes him an ideal option for Rajasthan Royals, a team that loves having attacking batsmen in their side.
| Mat | NO | Runs | HS | Avg | SR | 100s | 50s | 4s | 6s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 52 | 1 | 1285 | 137 | 25.19 | 163.27 | 2 | 5 | 113 | 89 |
Manish Pandey
Manish Pandey, a seasoned Indian batter, played just three matches for Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2025, scoring 92 runs. If he is released while looking for more playing time, Rajasthan Royals might go after him in the mini-auction. His vast experience could be a big boost for the team, especially if Sanju Samson leaves the franchise.
| Year | Mat | No | Runs | HS | Avg | SR | 100 | 50 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Career | 174 | 28 | 3942 | 114* | 29.42 | 121.52 | 1 | 22 |
Glenn Phillips
New Zealand’s star batter and a maestro in the field, Glenn Phillips, could come in RR’s squad after Sanju Samson’s exit from the franchise. While not directly replacing him, Phillips could fill in the gap of the finisher, something that Royals lacked severely in the IPL 2025.
He did not play a single game for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL 2025, and if he is released from the squad, Royals could go for him and strengthen their middle order.
| Year | Mat | No | Runs | HS | Avg | SR | 100 | 50 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Career | 8 | 1 | 65 | 25 | 9.29 | 118.18 | 0 | 0 |
Matthew Short
Sanju Samson is an Indian cricketer and ideally Rajasthan would want an Indian in his place. However, they have young Vaibhav Suryavanshi in their ranks, as a backup Indian opener, so they might also go for an overseas star. In such a case, Australian opener, Matthew Short can be a good choice.
The right-handed opening batter is a powerful hitter of the ball and is playing regularly for Australia at the international level. He played six games in 2023 IPL, but has matured a lot since then, and has close to 3000 runs in T20s with a strike-rate of 146.16. He has two hundreds and 18 fifties in the format and recently hit 236 runs in BBL which included a century as well.
| Mat | NO | Runs | HS | Avg | SR | 100s | 50s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | 0 | 293 | 66 | 22.53 | 163.68 | 0 | 1 |
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