Sanju Samson and MS Dhoni - (Source: AFP)
In the last few days, Rajasthan Royals' captain Sanju Samson has grabbed the headlines over his trade rumours to Chennai Super Kings ahead of IPL 2026. Notably, all is not well between Samson and the Men in Pink, and the 30-year-old is willing to end their eight-year-long association.
At present, the trade window is open and notably, the right-handed batter has requested the RR management to trade or release him for the upcoming season. Meanwhile, Chennai Super Kings and KKR have shown interest, but the five-time winners are the front-runners as the Men in Yellow are looking for a long-term replacement for MS Dhoni, who is most likely to play his last season in IPL 2026.
All-Cash Deal The Only Way For RR
The latest report mentioned that the RR group won't stop Samson from leaving, but they are seeking two players in return from Chennai. The names of the players haven't been disclosed, but it is assumed that one of the stars is likely a marquee talent.
In the latest events, The Times of India reported a few developments on this matter and stated that the only way forward for Samson to Chennai is through an all-cash deal as the Men in Yellow are unwilling to let go of any of their star players such as Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ravindra Jadeja, Shivam Dube or Matheesha Pathirana.
What Is An All-Cash Deal?
For the unversed, a trade deal happens in two ways- Player exchange or an all-cash deal.
In the player exchange deal, the two teams exchange players of similar financial equivalence, and no hefty amount is to be paid from either of the two teams. However, in the all-cash deal, one team buys a player from another franchise and pays a hefty transfer sum.
For example, Hardik Pandya's move to Mumbai Indians was an all-cash deal, where MI paid 15 crores to GT and also an undisclosed transfer sum.
