An intense amount of speculation surrounds the possibility of Sanju Samson parting ways with the Rajasthan Royals franchise. In the Indian Premier League IPL 2025 season, Samson missed several games due to injury and appeared in a few matches only as an Impact Player. Report suggest that Samson has informed the RR management of his desire to leave ahead of the 2026 season auction, even though the retention deadline is still a few months away. While no official reasons has been given, it is being speculated that his relationship Rahul Dravid is strained.
Kris Srikkanth, the 1983 World Cup-winning captain of the Indian cricket team, has responded to rumours of a rift between Samson and Dravid. While he said he was not aware of any such situation, Srikkanth added that the franchise does not have the authority to release Dravid.
Going by the reports, there seems to be a rift between him and Rahul Dravid, but I am not fully aware. Look at it from a franchise point of view. They have paid him a certain amount and retained him. They have formed the team around him. All of a sudden, if you release him, what happens to the team balance? They havent won the IPL since 2008 , said Srikkanth on his YouTube channel.
They have reached the final after that. I dont think I would let go of Sanju Samson. If they want to promote Riyan Parag as captain, that is their choice. I would still play Samson as a batter. Hes been paid INR 18 crore , he added.
In an interview, Sanju Samson responded to Ravichandran Ashwins question about his relationship with Rajasthan Royals but did not reveal anything about his future with the franchise.
RR has meant the world to me. A small child coming from a village in Kerala, wanting to show his talent. And then Rahul Dravid sir and Manoj Badale sir gave me a stage to get up and show the world what I am made of , Samson told former India spinner R Ashwin in his YouTube show.
That time, they trusted me throughout. The journey with RR has been really great, and Im very grateful to have been in a franchise like that. It really means a lot to me , Samson added.