Sanju Samson Gets Captaincy Nod Amid his CSK Union Buzz!

India's wicket-keeper batter Sanju Samson has been in the news due to his transfer talks with the Chennai Super Kings (CSK). The player, currently associated with the Rajasthan Royals (RR), has requested the franchise to part ways ahead of the upcoming mini auction later this year. Hence, RR has been in talks with multiple franchises to trade the player. Until now, none of the teams have turned up to accept the player. This means that they might find him in the mini auction.

Amidst the trade news, RR were reportedly in contact with the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) as well. They wrote to the Super Kings to swap players, and in return for Samson, RR asked for Ravindra Jadeja, Ruturaj Gaikwad, and Shivam Dube. As per Cricbuzz, the Chennai Super Kings declined the offer and mentioned they weren't interested in releasing their player. Earlier reports suggested that CSK are interested in Sanju Samson. The buzz around this news has benefited the batter as he has received a brilliant captaincy opportunity for the upcoming days. Sanju Samson captaincy might be a new challenge, but it will surely keep his mind off the ongoing drama.

Sanju Samson Captaincy in Action Amid CSK Union Speculations for IPL 2026

Sanju Samson, one of the best batters in the IPL, is ready to lead a team in a friendly T20 match on Friday, August 15, at the Greenfield Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram. He, along with another Kerala Star, Sachin Baby, will lead two teams in the friendly banter ahead of the second season of the Kerala Cricket League (KCL). Samson will make his KCL debut this year and was bought by Kochi Blue Tigers for Rs 26.75 lakh. Moreover, he was the highest-priced player in the auction. The KCL will be a practice for Samson ahead of the upcoming Asia Cup 2025.

The Greenfield Stadium is set to host the KCL 2025 and has made all the preparations for the tournament. With the friendly match, there will be an official inauguration for the KCL. This match will feature players like Sanju Samson, Sachin Baby, Azhar, Salman Nizar, and many more. There will be free entry for the fans to come and watch the match live. The entry is free through Gates 5 and 15 through the University Campus Main Entrance.

Secretary's XI:

Sanju Samson (c & wk), Krishna Prasad, Vishnu Vinod, Salman Nizar, Shaun Roger, Ajnas M, Sijomon Joseph, Basil Thampi, Basil NP, Akhil Skaria, Fanoos F, Muhammed Inan, Sharafuddin NM, and Akin Sattar.

President's XI:

Sachin Baby (c), Rohan Kunnummal, Mohammed Azharuddeen (wk), Ahmad Imran, Abhishek J Nair, Abdul Basith, Biju Narayanan, Ethan Apple Tom, Nidheesh MD, Abhijith Praveen, Asif KM, S Mithun, Vinod Kumar CV, and Sachin Suresh (wk).

Sanju Samson Asia Cup Comeback: Will He Play?

There have been interesting rumours floating around the internet regarding Sanju Samson Asia Cup 2025 comeback since the selectors are looking for Shubman Gill to play. After Gill's performance in England, as a player and as a captain, the selectors want him to be a part of the T20I setup as well. Moreover, Gill is also among the best batters in India. If he performs well, he might be the successor of Suryakumar Yadav in the format.

All this news threatens Samson's place in the team due to his performance against England. He played in five matches and scored just 51 runs at an average of 10.20. He did have a good campaign against South Africa, where he amassed 216 runs in five matches, at an average of 72. Samson slammed two centuries in the series as well. But when it comes to the Asia Cup, there are players like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Abhishek Sharma, and Shubman Gill who are in contention. The selection committee is most likely to prioritise Jaiswal and Gill over Samson because of their current performance in England. Moreover, they also played well in the IPL 2025 this season. The squad is about to be announced later this month, so it will be interesting to see how the selectors form the team.