Shamik Chakrabarty, Mumbai
Sanju Samson’s reported switch from Rajasthan Royals to Chennai Super Kings through close-season trading appears unlikely. To start with, CSK aren’t pursuing the deal vigorously, while Royals are pretty calm about the situation. The decision with regards to the cricketer’s future rests with Manoj Badale, Royals’ principal owner, it is learnt.
Sanju, the Royals captain, asked the franchise to release him after IPL 2025. Ahead of last year’s mega auction, Royals had retained him for Rs 18 crore. But he played only nine of their 14 matches due to a side strain. Riyan Parag was the stand-in captain. The franchise has control over the matter though. Royals can release Sanju or trade him to another franchise or send him into the auction.
“Our owner (Manoj Badale) will take a call on this, he will decide,” a Royals insider told RevSportz, while rubbishing suggestions that the player had a fallout with head coach Rahul Dravid. As regards captaincy, going ahead, he said: “That too would be decided by the owner.”
Sanju had informal conversations with some CSK officials after this year’s IPL. The five-time champions initially had mulled going for the 30-year-old wicketkeeper-batter, with MS Dhoni’s playing future uncertain. Of late, though, CSK seem to have cooled their interest in Sanju. “No, no, we aren’t having any discussion with Rajasthan Royals about him at this moment,” a CSK official told this website. “It’s all rumours. We can’t tell about the future, but as of now, nothing.”
Ravichandran Ashwin, too, has spoken about why he thinks Sanju moving to CSK is unlikely. “Why the CSK-RR trade won’t work is because if Sanju is traded to CSK, and RR then try to trade with other teams, they are unlikely to get valuable players in return,” the great off-spinner recently said on his YouTube channel.
“For example, if RR want a spinner like Ravi Bishnoi and approach LSG, the problem is that if LSG acquire Sanju and give away Bishnoi, they also have to manage the remaining purse required to retain Sanju, which becomes LSG’s responsibility.”
He added: “CSK generally don’t believe in trading. They aren’t going to trade players like Ravindra Jadeja or Shivam Dube. So, in all likelihood, Sanju coming to CSK is bleak for the reasons I have explained. RR don’t have much to gain from this kind of trade.”
Sanju is part of India’s T20 squad for the upcoming Asia Cup. But with Shubman Gill back to the fold as vice-captain, he might lose his place in the playing XI.
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