With the Indian national team on a short break, the IPL rumour mill is in full swing. At the centre of attention is Rajasthan Royals (RR) captain and India’s T20I opener Sanju Samson.
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), who are in search of a reliable domestic player to lead their top order in the upcoming season, are the most recent team to enter the Samson sweepstakes. Bengali newspaper Anandabazar Patrika claims that KKR are thinking of trading Ramandeep Singh and Angkrish Raghuvanshi for the RR captain.
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Rajasthan Royals must consider how both players fit into their current plans, even though they are long-term players with significant domestic upside. Pace bowling and consistency in lower middle-order were the team's issues in IPL 2025. Although neither of the two names mentioned above are well-suited for those positions, they could still be wise additions to a squad that has never hesitated to make significant bets on up-and-coming players.
Samson, meanwhile, would be a good fit at KKR, taking over the gloves and creating an additional overseas space by filling in for Rahmanullah Gurbaz or Quinton de Kock.
Determining the specifics of such a team would be crucial for both teams: Samson has a top-tier retainer salary of INR 18 crore, which is appropriate given his position as an Indian opener; yet, the combined earnings of the two younger players only amount to INR 7 crore. There will probably be some money involved in any such transaction.
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Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have also been linked to Samson, so KKR are not the only team in the race. But RR's demands are harsh: they want all-around power batter Shivam Dube, captain Ruturaj Gaikwad, or veteran all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja to return home.
Many in the league are likely to be concerned about a possible Samson trade, with everyone keeping a close eye on the situation to determine the best deal for the Kerala star.
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