Sanju Samson will continue to play with the Rajasthan Royals for the 2026 Indian Premier League season. Despite several media reports linking him with the Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders, the Rajasthan Royals have decided not to trade him or any other player. He remains the captain of the team and will stay with the franchise only.
Since the end of the IPL 0225, there was strong speculation about Samson’s future. He has missed the first few matches of the previous season due to a finger injury and later missed more games because of a side strain. He played only nine matches in total and scored 285 runs with a strike rate of 140.39, including one half-century. In his absence, Riyan Parag captained the team. The Royals had a poor season in 2025, finishing ninth on the points table with only four wins in 14 matches. During that time, young batter Vaibhav Suryavanshi made a strong debut and scored a 35-ball century against the Gujarat Titans.
A report from The Times of India confirmed that the Rajasthan Royals are not planning any trades and that Samson is still an important part of their setup. The rumors intensified when his agent liked a post on social media suggesting a move, but the team’s actions have made it clear that he is staying. Samson has been with the Royals for more than a decade, except for the 2016 and 2017 seasons when the team was banned. He is one of their most successful players and has scored over 4000 runs for the team. He became captain in 2021 and has led them to the final in 2022 and the playoffs in 2024. A recent photo shared by Siddhartha Lahiri, RR’s Head of International Player Development, with the caption “Lunch with the Skipper is always great fun” confirmed Samson’s continued role in the team. With this decision, Rajasthan Royals have shown once again faith in Sanju Samson’s Leadership and experience, looking ahead to the 2026 season.
