'Two teams were trying to poach Sanju Samson,' reveals Aakash Chopra; lauds Smith's ouster

With franchises shifting gears in preparation for the IPL 2021, Aakash Chopra has revealed that two teams attempted to 'poach' the new Rajasthan Royal's skipper - Sanju Samson. The cricketer-turned-commentator has stated that 3-time champions Chennai Super Kings and Virat Kohli-led RCB had set their eyes on the young Kerala batsman who had taken the IPL 2020 by storm with his powerful knocks. Chopra reasoned that after receiving interest for Samson, the Royals would have thought to increase his 'stature' in the team. 

“I have come to know that there were 2 teams who were trying to poach Sanju Samson, trying to lure him. One was Royal Challengers Bangalore and the other was Chennai Super Kings. After being approached by these two franchises, even the Royals would have thought to not only retain Samson but also increase his stature in the team,” Aakash Chopra said on Star Sports.

Steve Smith released

Samson was announced as the skipper of the Royals on Wednesday when the franchise decided against retaining Australian talisman Steve Smith. Reacting to the same, Chopra sided with the Royals' decision to part ways with Smith stating that the Australian is not 'worth' Rs 12.5 crore. 

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“I don’t like the idea of an overseas captain. When you go with an overseas captain, he is 25% of your resource from the overseas lot. I think it’s a good move to release Steve Smith. I don’t think he is worth Rs 12.5 crore. I would be very surprised if someone bids this much for him,” Chopra added.

Rajasthan have announced that young gun Sanju Samson will lead the squad in the upcoming edition of the IPL. The youngster, who has played for Delhi before his stint with Rajasthan, was one of the key players for the squad in the IPL 2020. The franchise has also announced that they would be retaining 17 players and will release the remaining 8 players ahead of the mini-auction. Moreover, former Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara has been roped in as the team's Director of cricket. 

READ | As IPL 2021 Mini-auction Nears, Here's A List Of Players Retained & Released By Franchises

Uthappa traded off

Chennai have acquired the services of veteran wicket-keeper batsman Robin Uthappa from Rajasthan in an all cash deal, the franchise announced on late Thursday night. The move comes despite the team's criticism of housing several senior players, a factor which contributed to its dismal performance in IPL 2020. 

Speaking on the development, Robin Uthappa said, "I really enjoyed my year at the Royals and had a great time being part of this franchise. I am now excited for the next part of my cricketing journey joining Chennai for IPL 2021."

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