THE SAMSON CONUNDRUM
Samson had made a formal request to the Royals management stating that he is seeking a new direction © BCCI/IPL
Has Sanju Samson already been traded? Are the Rajasthan Royals closing in on a deal? Accurate or not, the speculation has set the IPL abuzz. How the trade will ultimately unfold remains a matter of conjecture, but the chatter shows no signs of dying down among IPL franchises.
Days after Cricbuzz first reported about Samson’s request to be traded or released , it has emerged that the Royals have written again to multiple franchises inquiring their interest in acquiring the India keeper-batter. RR lead owner Manoj Badale is said to be spearheading the negotiations personally.
The chatter is Badale has even mentioned the names of specific players from different franchises that the Royals are keen on, in exchange for Samson. There is even talk that the Royals may have already reached – or close to reaching – an agreement with one of them.
With the letters sent directly to franchise owners, details have largely stayed under wraps. However, it is learnt that a potential trade with the Chennai Super Kings – widely speculated in recent days – could be a long shot, as the Royals are believed to have asked for either Ravindra Jadeja or Ruturaj Gaikwad, both deal-breaking terms that the Super Kings are not ready to entertain.
Shivam Dube’s name has also cropped up in some quarters, but Chennai are unwilling to part with the India all-rounder either. In fact, CSK officials and management are said to be reluctant to release any of their players. As of mid-August, the much-anticipated move of Samson from Jaipur to Chennai appears a non-starter – unless the Super Kings manage to secure him through extended negotiations or buy him in the auction.
However, there is no guarantee Samson’s name will even come up in the auction. With trade talks seriously underway with multiple teams – and there is significant interest among several other franchises – there remains every chance that another franchise could land him.
There is also a possibility that he may continue to remain at Rajasthan Royals since releasing or trading can only be franchise’s prerogative. The player has little say apart from making a request to the current franchise management.
As previously reported here, Samson has made a formal request to the Royals management stating that he is seeking a new direction. There have apparently been many issues of differences between RR and Samson, one of which was the management’s decision to release Jos Buttler.
“Letting him go has been one of the most challenging decisions for me. During the England series, I told him over dinner that I was still not over it. If I could change one thing in the IPL, I would change the rule of releasing players every three years,” Samson had told Star Sports before last IPL season. RR chose to retain Shimron Hetmyer instead.
Samson, however, maintained a dignified silence on the reported differences. In a recent podcast with R Ashwin he, in fact, said Rajasthan Royals setup means a world to him. He also praised Vaibhav Suryavanshi, the precocious left-handed batter who displaced him from top of the order in the franchise batting line-up.
As previously reported, Samson could still remain with the Royals if a suitable trade fails to materialise, but the chances of that appear slim, if not non-existent. Cricbuzz reached out to Badale for a response on the matter.
© Cricbuzz