Sanju Samson almost gets bagged by DC in trade-off for Proteas star with RR – OneCricket

OneCricket
Sanju Samson likely to join DC [Source: Vikrant09/X.com]
After months of speculation, it now appears that Rajasthan Royals skipper Sanju Samson is keen on leaving the franchise. In a recent report, it is claimed that Samson and Tristan Stubbs are likely to be involved in a big trade ahead of this year’s IPL auction. 
According to an article by The Times of India (TOI), Samson has made his intentions clear about exiting the Rajasthan camp, as both Delhi Capitals (DC) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) have begun negotiations with several tradable options on the table. Insider sources suggest that while DC is interested in acquiring Samson, they are unwilling to trade any of their core players.
As per the report, Rajasthan Royals initially demanded KL Rahul in exchange for Sanju Samson, but DC rejected the offer, as they did not want to lose their key performer with the bat. Although Rajasthan agreed to bring in Stubbs in place of Samson, they also demanded another uncapped player from the DC camp. However, DC denied the possibility. 
If Sanju Samson joins Delhi Capitals, it could create competition among senior players in the team, where KL Rahul already opens the batting while Axar Patel leads as captain. Samson’s arrival might prompt the management to consider him as a leadership option. 
Meanwhile, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are reportedly in a strong position to pursue KL Rahul, as they seek a stable and experienced captain and a reliable top-order batter.
However, DC has strongly rejected any possibility of trading KL Rahul, making KKR’s pursuit unlikely, given their limited tradable assets apart from names like Rinku Singh and Varun Chakaravarthy. 
It’s worth noting that Samson previously played for Delhi during the 2016–2017 IPL seasons, contributing significantly with the bat. But the deal with DC this time seems complicated, as Samson has been struggling with form and fitness issues since IPL 2025.

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