The trade deal to release Rajasthan Royals skipper Sanju Samson has a new twist. The buzz for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 has already been woven in as a report reveals Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) want to settle the player swapping to replace an all-rounder Ramandeep Singh or prolific batter Angkrish Raghuvanshi from Samson. As nothing is official yet, there is a possibility of a cash deal too if the swapping of players fails to proceed.
The 30-year-old wicketkeeper batter has been part of the RR campaign since 2013, except for 2016-17 when he joined Delhi Capitals but returned to RR again in 2018. Samson had one of the worst seasons in IPL 2025, where he amassed only 285 runs, underperforming after 204 in IPL 2015. Samson, who wants to walk out of RR, probably sees an opportunity with an entirely new management for him to be able to recover his form.
KKR Focusing on Sanju Samson
IPL 2026 is still far, but Samson’s demand has surged even though an exchange settlement with Chennai Super Kings couldn’t extend due to the unwillingness of the five-time IPL champions to offer Ravindra Jadeja or Shivam Dube as swap options. However, three-time IPL champions KKR are interested in Sanju Samson.
Samson is also in the news for the Asia Cup 2025, initiating discussions around his possible inclusion in the India squad. He wants to leave RR at a time when his presence in the Asia Cup hangs in doubt for his role as a wicketkeeper-batter, even though he has had a long-standing connection with RR. At the same time, KKR is showing attention to Samson’s surging intensity in this matter despite his underperformance in the last IPL season. On the other hand, KKR also had a worst outing in the IPL 2025. Possibly, the KKR management also sees a fortunate opportunity with a strategic move to get an experienced Sanju Samson.
