The 31-year-old Sanju Samson made headlines ahead of the IPL 2026 season when he made his move to former winners Chennai Super Kings. Rajasthan Royals traded the batterfor Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran, who went the other way. It is to be noted that Jadeja made his way back to the same team, where he had taken his first steps as a youngster.

Samson spent two stints with Rajasthan, first from 2013 to 2015, then on the team’s return from suspension in 2018 to 2025. The batter didn’t have a great 2025 season with the Jaipur-based side, scoring 285 runs from nine matches with one fifty. Speaking on the ‘Superstars’ programme aired by JioStar, the Kerala-born star termed the move a huge risk.

“Leaving RR was a huge risk. Once you convey the feeling to the team, there is no turning back. You could go to a side that you didn’t want to or even head back into the auction where getting picked isn’t a certainty.” The former Royals skipper had endured a few injuries in the 2025 season, which saw Riyan Parag leading the side for a few games.

Explaining his decision behind the move to CSKthe T20 World Cup hero said, “There were two reasons behind my move to CSK. I knew 2025 was my last season with Rajasthan. I had spoken to my family and wife. They asked if the decision was well thought out. There were discussions for a few weeks before the final call was taken, and it turned out to be the right call.”

Move to CSK was Samson’s new beginning

Speaking to JioStar, the star player said that he was confident about his choices and wanted a new beginning. “As a person, I am very confident and take my own stand and wanted to start from scratch. Some people told me my style might not suit the wickets in Chennai. But I had to find a way, and this IPL season went in with good energy, thinking I have to achieve something.”

2026 was a decent year for the batter as he scored 477 runs from 14 games with two centuries and a fifty. Sanju became an instant hit with the crowd in Chepauk, and his most memorable moment was against the Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium, where he scored 101 not out. Earlier in the season, he had amassed 115 not out in the game against Delhi Capitals in front of the home fans. The player was part of 149 matches for Rajasthan and scored 4027 runs at an average of 31 and a strike rate of 141, with two centuries and 23 fifties.