Rajasthan Royals’ Director of Strategy & Analytics, Giles Lindsay, recently opened up about the team's decision to trade Sanju Samson to CSK in exchange for Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran ahead of IPL 2026. After spending several years with the franchise and leading the team through multiple seasons, the talented keeper-batter from Kerala felt it was time to embrace a new challenge. The trade, which amounted to Rs 18 crore, seemed to be a smooth transition for RR, as it reportedly allowed them to shift their focus to other pressing issues. 

 

Why RR were comfortable moving on from Sanju Samson

 

In a chat with Cricbuzz, Lindsay shared that RR had faced a string of narrow losses in the previous season, largely due to an over-reliance on overseas bowlers. He emphasized the need for a better balance within the team, noting that Jadeja would enhance their batting depth while also being an exceptional fielder. 

 

“Jadeja fills out some more batting depth to our line-up. A gun fielder as well. So, we’ve got a lot of boxes ticked there, and the experience as well. Sam brings bowling and batting and is a great competitor, I’ve known him for a long time. So, both of them add something different to what we have with Sanju,” 

 

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Lindsay also expressed confidence in young talents Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Dhruv Jurel to step up and fill the gap left by Samson’s exit. In fact, during Samson's absence, the then 13-year-old Suryavanshi rose to the occasion as RR’s opener in several innings, meeting expectations with his performance. He’s set to continue in that role for IPL 2026, while Jurel will take on wicketkeeping duties, just as he did in IPL 2025. 

 

“But we’re confident that from what we have within the squad, we can redeploy that in the form of Vaibhav or Jurel, who can cover different roles. So, I feel like that’s the kind of basis for what we did. And I think that was where we were trying to give ourselves a bit more flexibility in our squad,” the RR official added.

 

Sanju Samson’s IPL Journey: From RR Leader to a New Chapter with CSK in 2026 

 

Sanju Samson has been one of the most thrilling and reliable players in the Indian Premier League for years. His exceptional batting skills and leadership shone brightly while he captained the Rajasthan Royals, where he became a pivotal figure and one of the team's standout performers.

 

Under his guidance, RR made it to the IPL final, and he consistently delivered impressive scores, earning admiration throughout the league. Now, as IPL 2026 approaches, Samson has been traded to the Chennai Super Kings in a significant move that sees him join one of the most successful franchises in the tournament's history. In return, CSK has sent Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran to Rajasthan Royals.