Aakash Chopra reveals why Sanju Samson might exit Rajasthan Royals
Rajasthan Royals' captain and wicketkeeper-batsman Sanju Samson is reportedly planning to leave the franchise ahead of IPL 2026. According to reports, he has already informed the RR management to trade or release him. Amidst growing speculations and viral posts on social media regarding Samson, former Indian cricketer and current commentator Aakash Chopra has made a big revelation.
Currently, numerous reports suggest that Sanju Samson is planning to join another team before IPL 2026, and he has already discussed this with Rajasthan Royals management. However, the truth behind these claims is still uncertain.
Aakash Chopra Reveals the Truth
In reality, no one knows the full picture, as neither Sanju Samson nor Rajasthan Royals have made any official confirmation on the matter. But Aakash Chopra, while speaking on his YouTube channel, shared an interesting insight.
Aakash Chopra stated:
"Why would Sanju Samson want to leave? It’s interesting because during the last mega auction, they let Jos Buttler go. At the time, I thought they did that because Yashasvi Jaiswal had arrived and Sanju wanted to open the innings. Also, Sanju and the Rajasthan Royals management shared a strong bond, which is likely why they chose to keep Sanju over Buttler."
Rajasthan Royals Have Found New Openers
Chopra further added:
"I felt Sanju had a major say in decisions regarding retaining or releasing players. However, it now seems that may not be the case. With Vaibhav Suryavanshi coming in, Rajasthan already has two established openers in Yashasvi Jaiswal and Vaibhav. There’s also talk of pushing Dhruv Jurel up the order, so maybe that’s why Sanju wants to leave. If that’s what he’s thinking, it’s possible. These are speculations—I don’t know what’s going on in his or Rajasthan’s mind."
In IPL 2025, Sanju Samson scored 285 runs in 9 innings at a strike rate of 140.39. However, he missed most matches due to injury, and Riyan Parag was handed over the captaincy in his absence