Follow UsSanju Samson’s trade after asking Rajasthan Royals to release him ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction next year is a hot topic in Indian cricket right now. Samson has been the spine and skipper for Rajasthan for some time now, and now, due to some rumoured rift with the team management, wishes to leave the team and looks to be open for trade.
Chennai Super Kings’ name has been doing rounds as the franchise that can potentially go after him, and as per Tamil Nadu legend and World Cup winner Kris Srikkanth, Samson can be a great pick for CSK as he fills the void that MS Dhoni’s inevitable ouster from the side would lead to.
“To tell you the truth, Sanju is a brilliant player and he’s very popular in Chennai. He’s got a good brand image in Chennai,” Srikkanth said on his YouTube channel, as quoted by the Indian Express.
“As I said, I’ll be the first one to pick him for Chennai if he is willing to leave and comes this side. He’s the right replacement for MS Dhoni. Dhoni can play this season, maybe not the year after and then you can have a smooth transition. But I feel if Ruturaj Gaikwad has been given the captaincy, he should be continued with.”
However, Srikkanth assessed that this trade deal would be overall a net negative for Rajasthan, as they have invested a lot of years and money in Samson. Moreover, his leaving the side would leave a leadership lacuna that won’t be easy for RR to fill with the young Indians in the squad.
“Going by the reports, there seems to be a rift between him and Rahul Dravid, but I am not fully aware,” Srikkanth said.
“Look at it from a franchise point of view. They have paid him a certain amount and retained him. They have formed the team around him. All of a sudden, if you release him, what happens to the team balance? They haven’t won the IPL since 2008.
“They have reached the final after that (in 2022). I don’t think I would let go of Sanju Samson. If they want to promote Riyan Parag as captain, that is their choice. I would still play Samson as a batter. He’s been paid INR 18 crore.”
It remains to be seen where Samson ends up, and even before that, if RR actually let him go or not.