Former Chennai Super Kings star Robin Uthappa has weighed in on the reports linking Sanju Samson with a move away from Rajasthan Royals ahead of the IPL 2026 mini-auction. Uthappa believes Samson’s exit seemed inevitable given RR’s batting line-up and the team’s focus on younger players.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Uthappa noted that Rajasthan already have Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, and Riyan Parag occupying key batting spots. This could push Samson down to number four — a role he may not prefer as he currently opens for India.
Uthappa explained:
“They have both Yashasvi, who has done really well for them, and Suryavanshi has absolutely smacked it out of the park, and Riyan Parag likes to bat at number three. Where does that leave Sanju Samson? A number four spot. Would I want to bat at number four when I am opening for India? Absolutely not. From his perspective, he probably felt that perhaps that won’t change at RR, and they back their youngsters, quite a bit, don’t they?”
He added that Samson might be “trying to get a little bit ahead of the curve” by seeking a move where he can continue opening and maintain his position at the top of India’s batting order.
CSK as the Ideal Destination for Sanju Samson
Reports have suggested Chennai Super Kings are interested in signing Samson as a long-term successor to MS Dhoni. However, with Samson’s valuation at INR 18 crore, a direct trade could be difficult.
Speculation about Ravichandran Ashwin leaving CSK raised talk of a potential swap deal, though Ashwin himself downplayed the possibility. Uthappa proposed a solution — trade Ashwin and Vijay Shankar to Rajasthan in exchange for Samson.
“CSK for sure. If they are able to get him and if they are able to snap him up, then it’ll do really well for him. I think the transition of MS Dhoni to the next wicketkeeper, they already have in Sanju, so that is already taken care of. Otherwise, they would have to look at, say, at this point, say Devon Conway as a wicketkeeping option. But if he comes onboard, there is a lot of good that can happen for CSK,” Uthappa said.
He also highlighted that Rajasthan might prefer letting Samson go if the player is unwilling to stay:
“I think perhaps Rajasthan also feel Sanju doesn’t want to be there anymore, so if a player doesn’t want to be there, why do we have to keep him? Give him what he wants. In that sense, I think it makes sense for them.”
With the IPL 2026 mini-auction approaching, all eyes will be on whether this CSK–RR trade idea becomes a reality.
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