IPL 2026 Auction: Samson Asks To Be Released From Rajasthan Royals

An important shift in his career and the character of the squad occurred when Sanju Samson, the longtime captain and star player of the Rajasthan Royals (RR), formally requested to be removed from the team ahead of the IPL 2026 mini-auction.

A Franchise Crossroads

To turn around a poor IPL 2025 season that saw him end in ninth position with just four victories from 14 games, Samson reportedly pointed to increasing disputes with management, especially issues pertaining to his playing role. Tensions have increased as a result of his batting flexibility being limited by the rise of new players Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Yashasvi Jaiswal.

The franchise has the power to decide whether to release, trade, or keep a player under contract; players are not allowed to select their departure under IPL regulations. RR must decide by the retention deadline in November.

Who’s Watching?

Several franchises have previously expressed interest:

• The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) are interested in Samson because they see him as an MS Dhoni heir.
• There are also reports that other teams, including the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), are keeping an eye on the situation.

The Bigger Picture

Samson's escape request shows deep discontent rather than just a transfer rumor. He is still RR's most capped player and best run scorer after taking the helm in 2021 and guiding the team to the 2022 IPL final. His worth to the team is shown by his ₹18 crore retention before the last big auction.