Rajasthan is ready to trade Sanju Samson in exchange for Ravindra Jadeja and Ruturaj Gaikwad from Chennai. This is no small demand that Rajasthan is placing before Chennai. For the past few weeks, news about Sanju’s potential transfer to Chennai Super Kings (CSK) has been a hot topic in cricket circles. With Sanju expressing his full willingness to leave Rajasthan, Chennai has intensified its efforts to secure him. Meanwhile, Rajasthan is working to ensure the deal is profitable when letting go of one of the franchise’s best-ever players. Reports suggest that Rajasthan is likely to trade Sanju through a swap deal with Chennai.
However, until recently, there was no clarity on which players Rajasthan was demanding in return. Reports emerged a few days ago stating that Rajasthan is asking for Jadeja and Gaikwad in exchange for Sanju. Shivam Dube’s name has also surfaced in these discussions. However, it is understood that Chennai has rejected this demand. This has led to continued uncertainty surrounding Sanju’s potential transfer. Apart from Chennai, reports indicate that Rajasthan’s owner, Manoj Badale, is also in talks with several other franchises. Therefore, it is believed that the trade could happen even before the mini-auction.
There have been differences of opinion between Sanju and the Rajasthan management since the last season. Fans witnessed Sanju publicly expressing his views, including on the decision to release Jos Buttler. “The decision not to retain Buttler was a challenging one for me. I spoke openly about it with him when we met during the England series. If I had the power to change one thing in the IPL, I would remove the rule of releasing players every three years,” Sanju recently commented. Reports also suggest that Sanju has had disagreements with coach Rahul Dravid on several matters.
What did Sreekanth say?
Former Indian cricketer Krishnamachari Srikkanth recently reacted to Sanju’s potential transfer, saying, “It seems like there are issues between Sanju and Dravid. Otherwise, how can a team release a player they retained for a huge amount within just a year? When you build a team around a player and then suddenly release him, doesn’t it affect the team’s balance? Let’s not forget that Rajasthan hasn’t won an IPL title since 2008.”
Another Openion
Meanwhile, former Indian cricketer Robin Uthappa has a different opinion, suggesting that Rajasthan should demand two other players instead of Gaikwad and Jadeja in the swap deal. “Rajasthan desperately needs a quality finisher. They only have Hetmyer, who was in poor form last season. Alongside R. Ashwin, they should ask for Vijay Shankar or Sam Curran,” Uthappa opined. However, R. Ashwin recently stated that the chances of Sanju joining Chennai are slim, as CSK is unlikely to agree to release the players Rajasthan is demanding, making the trade improbable.
Conclusion
If Rajasthan does not allow Sanju to leave, the player will have to stay with the franchise. The franchise retained Sanju for ₹18 crore last season, and since the contract is valid for three years, a transfer is only possible if the franchise permits it. Amid these discussions about his potential move, Sanju appeared on a podcast by his close friend and former Rajasthan player, R.S., where he shared his unforgettable experiences with Rajasthan Royals. Praising the franchise owners and Rahul Dravid, Sanju said, “Rajasthan Royals was like a big world for me. The franchise gave a boy from a small village in Kerala a chance to shine on the global stage. Rahul Dravid and Manoj Badale gave me the opportunity to perform on that big stage, and everyone showed faith in me from the start.”
Fans will have to wait longer for clarity on Sanju’s potential transfer, as discussions continue without a clear resolution.
