Kolkata Knight Riders Or Chennai Super Kings: Dissecting The Best Suited Franchise For Sanju Samson Amid His Speculated Exit From Rajasthan Royals

IPL 2026: Rajasthan Royals captain Sanju Samson and the speculations around his exit from the franchise have currently become the talk of the town. Has Sanju been traded? Are the inaugural champions of the Indian Premier League taking an initiative to keep him in the mix of things? Are Chennai Super Kings interested considering the fact that there are still doubts about MS Dhoni's return? Everybody seems to be asking these questions.

KKR Or CSK: Where Does Sanju Actually Fit?

According to various reports, Chennai Super Kings are being considered as the frontrunners to acquire Sanju Samson's services. Though the five-time champions have someone like a Ruturaj Gaikwad who has been leading them full-time, but they will be in a dire need to acquire the services of someone who can not only keep wickets but can also turn the tide of the game with the bat.

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Sanju has been Rajasthan Royals' captain for a very very long time now and he has been nothing but excellent in this role, the only thing that might hamper the chances of Samson playing for Chennai Super Kings is the fact that Ruturaj Gaikwad is leading them and Samson might not be able to lead the five-time champions.

On the contrary, Kolkata Knight Riders have been looking for an explosive wicketkeeper-batsman for a very very long time, since the time Dinesh Karthik left. The likes of Phil Salt, Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Quinton de Kock had a few good stints with the three-time champions, but the Kolkata-based franchise might not shy away from having a long time fix.

If Sanju ends up playing for the Kolkata Knight Riders, he can keep wickets, lead the side and also open the batting for them. Ajinkya Rahane did deliver the goods for the Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2025, buit it remains to be seen if the franchise opts to retain him.

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The Change In Sanju Samson's Fortunes

The situation around Sanju Samson has changed drastically. With all the talent that he has, the Rajasthan Royals skipper is now a regular India player, something that was not the case a few years back. Sanju has been contsntly opening the batting for India in the T20Is and he is expected to play the World T20 and defend India's crown next year. Where will Sanju Samson go? This is something that remains to be seen.