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Why Sanju Samson’s Delhi Capitals trade collapsed and reignited Chennai Super Kings’ pursuit
Multiple IPL teams showed interest in Sanju Samson, with Chennai Super Kings emerging as frontrunner after Rajasthan Royals’ talks with Delhi Capitals failed.
Not one, but multiple IPL franchises have shown interest in acquiring Sanju Samson, who has reportedly expressed a desire to part ways with the Rajasthan Royals, ending his seven-year association with the franchise. Over the last several weeks, the Chennai Super Kings have emerged as the frontrunner for the deal, a move that gained traction only after Rajasthan failed to strike a suitable agreement with the Delhi Capitals.
According to a report in The Times of India, Rajasthan had approached Chennai for a swap deal involving Ravindra Jadeja, which could have seen the India star return to the Royals after 16 years. He was part of the RR camp in the inaugural two years in the IPL. However, with Chennai not showing much interest initially, Rajasthan shifted their focus to the Delhi Capitals.
The report added that the two franchises had all but finalised a swap deal involving Samson and South Africa’s Tristan Stubbs. However, Rajasthan’s demand for an additional uncapped player ultimately led to the collapse of the deal. The 2008 IPL winners reportedly wanted Stubbs alongside Sameer Rizvi, but Delhi were unwilling to part with the young batter given his potential. In fact, the deal had progressed so far that even senior players in the Delhi camp, including a few overseas stars, were aware of it.
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With the deal with Delhi getting called off, Rajasthan once again shifted their focus to Chennai, which led to the re-establishment of the negotiations.
According to a report in ESPNCricinfo on Sunday, Rajasthan and Chennai are all but certain to close in on one of the most high-profile trade deals in IPL history, with Samson set to join CSK in exchange for all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran. In fact, the franchises have even had a word with all three players involved. Once the players hand over the written consent, the franchises can proceed with final negotiations, subject to approval by the IPL governing council.
