Rajasthan Royals captain Sanju Samson is reportedly close to a blockbuster trade to Chennai Super Kings ahead of IPL 2026, in a swap with Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran. Birthday wishes from both RR and CSK fueled speculation about the move.
Rajasthan Royals (RR)extended their warm wish to captain Sanju Samson amid his potential exit from the franchise and moving to Chennai Super Kings ahead of the IPL 2026 retentions. Samson has been in the news for the past few days over trade talks involving a blockbuster swap deal that could include Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran moving to RR.
Earlier, Sanju Samson formally expressed his desire to leave the Rajasthan Royals and explore new opportunities with other IPL franchises. Recently, Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals re-established talks over the swap deal of Sanju Samson for Ravindra Jadeja, with the process reportedly nearing its completion. CSK agreed to trade Jadeja to the Royals after talks with MS Dhoni, who was involved in guiding the discussion and giving his approval for the move.
Sanju Samson is set to move to Chennai Super Kings once the trade is officially completed, with Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran expected to join Rajasthan Royals as part of the blockbuster swap deal.
The Royals’ Birthday Wish for Sanju Samson
As Sanju Samson is set to join the Chennai Super Kings, the Rajasthan Royals took a moment to celebrate their captain’s captain, sharing a heartfelt post wishing their ‘Chetta’.
Taking to their X handle (formerly Twitter), Rajasthan Royals wrote, ‘Happy birthday, Chetta!’, along with a picture of in the Royals’ pink kit, bat in hand, and animated roaring celebration.
Scroll to load tweet…
Sanju Samson joined the Rajasthan Royals in 2013 and since then, he has emerged as he has emerged as one of the franchise’s most dependable batters and leaders over the last 11 seasons. Samson is the leading run-getter for the Royals, amassing 4027 runs, including two centuries and 23 fifties, at an average of 31.70 and a strike rate of 141.24 in 149 matches.
Sanju Samson led the team from 2021 to 2025 and became the Rajasthan Royals’ most successful captain, having won 33 matches in 67 matches and having a win percentage of 49.25, making him the franchise’s most consistent and impactful leader in its IPL history.
CSK Wish a ‘Super’ Birthday to Samson
Apart from the Rajasthan Royals, the Chennai Super Kings also extended their warm wishes to Sanju Samson amid ongoing trade talks, posting a birthday greeting on social media, signalling his potential move to the Chennai-based IPL franchise.
“More power to you, Sanju! Wishing you a super birthday!” CSK wrote on its X handle (formerly Twitter).
Scroll to load tweet…
There has been massive buzz and anticipation around Sanju Samson’s potential move to Chennai Super Kings as the swap deal could be one of the biggest trades ahead of IPL 2026, involving star players like Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran. Samson was retained by the Rajasthan Royals for INR 18 crore ahead of the IPL 2025, making his potential move to Chennai Super Kings a high-profile and closely watched move in the lead-up to IPL 2026.
In his IPL career, Sanju Samson has amassed 4704 runs, including 3 centuries and 23 fifties, at an average of 30.94 and a strike rate of 139.04 in 177 matches, establishing himself as one of the league’s most talented and consistent batters.