Sanju Samson’s IPL future sealed; teammate confirms

Former India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has made a bold prediction about wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson’s future with Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the IPL. Ashwin stated that the Kerala batter is likely to stay with the Royals despite ongoing speculation about a possible move to another franchise.

There have been speculations around Sanju Samson’s future with the Royals ahead of the 2026 IPL season. The wicketkeeper-batter was retained for ₹18 crore by the Jaipur-based franchise before the 2025 season. However, an injury prevented him from featuring in any matches during that campaign.

Sanju Samson Will Stay in Rajasthan Royals Only – Ravichandran Ashwin

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ash ki Baat, Ravichandran Ashwin said that Sanju Samson is likely to continue with the Rajasthan Royals. Ashwin added that he isn’t fully aware of Samson’s plans, but the wicketkeeper-batter is expected to stay with RR.

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“I have no idea till now. I will ask him. He will tell me. If he goes to the auction how do we know what will happen? I think after everything that happens, he will stay in RR only,” Ashwin said.

It is worth mentioning that Ashwin and Samson played together for the Rajasthan Royals from IPL 2022 to IPL 2024. Ashwin took 35 wickets in 45 matches at an average of 38.23 and an economy rate of 7.82. With the bat, he scored 344 runs at an average of 18.11 and a strike rate of 132.31, with a best score of 50.

Rajasthan Royals Have Meant the World to Me – Sanju Samson

Sanju Samson has been a key player for the Rajasthan Royals over the years. In a recent podcast with Ravichandran Ashwin, Samson said that the franchise has meant the world to his career. He added that RR, along with Rahul Dravid and Manoj Badale, provided him a platform to showcase his talent.

“Rajasthan Royals have meant the world to me. A small child coming from a village in Kerala, wanting to show his talent. And then Rahul (Dravid) sir and Manoj Badale sir gave me a stage to get up and show the world what I am made of,” he had said. (via Rajasthan Royals).

Samson’s future with the Royals remains uncertain. While Chennai Super Kings showed interest in acquiring the star wicketkeeper-batter, they reportedly rejected trade offers involving other key players in exchange for Samson.

Sanju Samson’s Record with Rajasthan Royals in IPL

Sanju began his IPL career with the Rajasthan Royals in 2013. He played three seasons for RR before moving to Delhi Capitals in 2016. The wicketkeeper-batter returned to RR in 2018 and has stayed with the franchise ever since, completing a total of 11 seasons with the Royals.

Samson has scored 4,027 runs in 149 matches for Rajasthan at an average of 31.71 and a strike rate of 141.25, including two centuries and 23 half-centuries. He was appointed as captain ahead of the 2021 season and guided the team to the IPL 2022 final, where they lost to the Gujarat Titans (GT).

Overall, Samson has scored 4,704 runs in 177 matches at an average of 30.94 and a strike rate of 139.04, including three hundreds and 26 fifties.

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