Sanju Samson has reportedly requested for his release from RR franchise before IPL 2026 auction.
Chopra said that if Rajasthan captain Samson decided to depart, the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) would be the most interested in signing him.
According to reports, Samson has asked RR to release him, leading to curiosity regarding his next move. Aakash Chopra, speaking on his YouTube channel, questioned why Samson would want to leave Rajasthan in the first place, especially given his vital role in the team's prior seasons.
“Why would Sanju Samson want to leave? It’s interesting because when the last mega auction happened, they let Jos Buttler go, and I felt they let Jos Buttler go because Yashasvi had come and Sanju wanted to open, and Sanju and Rajasthan Royals were really, really thick,” Chopra said on his YouTube channel.
However, Chopra believes that the team dynamics may have changed as a result of the rise of youthful opener Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.
“I felt there would have been a massive input from Sanju in the players they retained or released. However, now it seems it might not have been there. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has come, so two openers are already ready, and you also want to bat Dhruv Jurel up the order. So Sanju wishes to leave. If he is thinking like that, it’s possible. These are conjectures. I don’t know what’s in his and Rajasthan’s minds,” Chopra said.
In nine innings during the 2025 Indian Premier League, Samson amassed 285 runs with a strike rate of 140.39. Sooryavanshi, meanwhile, had a great IPL debut, scoring 252 runs in seven innings at an incredible strike rate of 206.55, including the fastest IPL century ever by an Indian. It appears that this has changed RR's batting strategy.
The former opener went on to say that KKR is a strong candidate for Samson's inclusion given their present lineup.
“The first name that comes to my mind is not CSK. KKR should be the most desperate team. KKR don’t have an Indian wicketkeeper-batter, and that just ties their hands behind their back. Secondly, what’s wrong if you get a captain? I am not denying that Ajinkya Rahane has captained well and has scored runs as well,” Chopra said.
Rahane's batting stance has presented difficulties, according to Chopra, and KKR may want to consider letting go of all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer, one of their valuable players.
“However, Ajinkya Rahane as a batter, whether he opens or else, the batting order has been a bit of a problem. They have a player they can release as well. If they wish, they can release Venkatesh Iyer, free up nearly 24 crore, and then they can make a difference,” he added.
KKR struggled with their keeper-batter position in IPL 2025. Neither Quinton de Kock nor Rahmanullah Gurbaz worked for them. Having an overseas keeper meant that their batting combination suffered, and hence they had a poor season.