Samson’s RR Exit Request Rocks IPL 2026 Plans
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 b...