Sanju Samson has requested Rajasthan Royals to be released, while Ravichandran Ashwin and Chennai Super Kings have decided to part ways ahead of the auction for IPL 2026.

It is understood that the Royals are yet to confirm their regular captain’s departure and are still trying to convince him to continue with the side. Differences between Samson and the Royals management cropped up this season.

The IPL rules favour the franchise and once a player is signed through retention or auction, he is contractually bound to play for them for three years. There’s nothing much a player can do unless the franchise releases him.

Samson has dominated the trade talk in the IPL for quite some time with several franchises showing interest, most notably CSK and KKR. But there hasn’t been much headway since none of the franchises have offered a trade acceptable to the Royals.

Besides being a wicketkeeper and a captain, Samson is one of the most sought-after top-order batters in the shortest format and has a good record in the IPL and for India.

KKR have shown interest since he perfectly fits into their desired role — a keeper, an opener and a captain.

Ashwin’s case is slightly different. The CSK team management, including Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Ruturaj Gaikwad, has been camping in Chennai for the past
week to chalk out plans for the next season.

The veteran off spinner was bought by CSK for ₹9.75 crore. It is still not clear if he will continue as head of CSK’s High Performance Centre and Super Kings Academy. Turning out for another franchise could mean a potential conflict of interest on his part.