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In a major development for the Rajasthan Royals (RR) franchise, skipper Sanju Samson is not moving away, putting an end to widespread speculation. Despite an injury-plagued and disappointing IPL 2025 season, the franchise has shown faith in their captain, with reports confirming he is not part of any trade window discussions.
Will Sanju Samson continue as Rajasthan Royals captain for IPL 2026?
According to a Times of India (TOI) report, Sanju will remain with Rajasthan Royals and continue as captain for the IPL 2026 season. Despite rumours, the franchise is not considering any player trades at this time. The report confirms that Samson is firmly part of the Royals’ plans and will continue to lead the side without any change in leadership.
“RR have decided not to trade Samson or any of their players for now. Samson is very much a part of the Royals set-up and the undisputed captain of the team,” TOI quoted a source in its report.
A challenging IPL 2025 season for Samson
The speculation was primarily fueled by Sanju’s injury-riddled and dismal IPL 2025 season. He suffered a right index finger fracture in February, which required surgery, and later a side strain. These injuries restricted his participation to just nine matches, where he scored 285 runs at a strike rate of 140.39.
In his absence, Riyan Parag took over the captaincy, further adding fuel to the fire. The Rajasthan Royals themselves had a disastrous campaign, finishing ninth on the points table with only four wins from 14 matches, their worst performance in years. This led to heavy rumors that Samson was moving to Chennai Super Kings (CSK), who were reportedly looking for a new captain. However, with this latest development, the franchise has made it clear that they are backing Samson to lead their resurgence and are not moving on from their trusted captain.
Also READ: IPL 2026 trade war heats up: CSK, KKR and RR battle for KL Rahul’s signature
