Ravichandran Ashwin and Sanju Samson are reportedly seeking exits from CSK and RR, respectively, ahead of IPL 2026. Amidst trade rumors, Ashwin jokingly offered to trade himself to Kerala, Samson’s home state, during a show appearance.
Veteran Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin and wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson have been in the news of late concerning their potential exit from Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals, respectively, ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026.
According to reports, Ashwin and Samson expressed their willingness to leave their respective franchises ahead of the mini IPL auction, which is likely to take place in January or February next year, a month before the next season of the tournament. Samson formally informed the Rajasthan Royals to either trade him or release him into the auction, with a Cricbuzz report suggesting growing differences between him and the franchise.
Ashwin, on the other hand, reportedly requested that Chennai Super Kings release him from the squad after Ruturaj Gaikwad and MS Dhoni’s meeting with the franchise management. The reason behind the veteran Indian cricketer’s decision to leave CSK is unclear, but Ashwin is likely to step down from the role of Director of Cricket Operations at CSK Academy to avoid a conflict of interest if he moves to another franchise.
‘I will come directly and trade myself’
As rumours of Ravichandran Ashwin and Sanju Samson leaving CSK and RR, respectively, swirl like wildfire ahead of the IPL 2026, the veteran Indian off-spinner hilariously reacted to the reports.
Speaking in a teaser of the upcoming episode of ‘Kutti Stories with Ash’ and Sanju Samson as his guest on the show, Ravichandran Ashwin made a witty remark about the ongoing IPL trade rumours, stating he would trade by himself by moving to Kerala, the state where Samson is from.
Ashwin’s hilarious remark to the trade rumours left Sanju Samson in splits.
Scroll to load tweet…
Ravichandran Ashwin and Sanju Samson played together for Rajasthan Royals from 2022 to 2024 before the former was surprisingly released from the squad ahead of the mega IPL 2025 Auction in November last year. In 2022, Ashwin was one of the instrumental players to help the Royals reach their first-ever IPL final since 2008, the year when they became inaugural champions under Shane Warne’s leadership.
During his three-year stint with RR, Ashwin picked 35 wickets at an average of 38.22 and an economy rate of 7.82 in 45 matches. After being released by the Rajasthan Royals, the 38-year-old had a homecoming to the Chennai Super Kings, when the franchise snapped him for INR 9.75 crore at the auction last year.
CSK expressed interest in signing Samson
Sanju Samson’s future at the Rajasthan Royals remains uncertain at the moment, with recent reports of parting ways, but the Chennai Super Kings had already expressed their desire to trade if he were available.
Reportedly, a senior CSK official expressed the franchise’s desire to sign Sanju Samson if he was available for trade ahead of the IPL 2026 season.
“We are definitely looking at Sanju. He is an Indian batter who is a keeper and an opener. So if he is available, we will certainly have a look at the option of having him in our fold.” A CSK official told Cricbuzz.
“Who we will trade him with we have not taken that call because the matter has not gone that far. But yes, in principle, we are interested,” the CSK official added.
Scroll to load tweet…
Sanju Samson is the most successful captain for the Rajasthan Royals, having led the team to 33 wins in 67 matches. He is also the leading run-getter for the side in the IPL, amassing 4027 runs, including 2 centuries and 21 fifties, at an average of 31.70 in 149 matches.