IPL 2026: Faf du Plessis reckons Sanju Samson's exit is a massive blow for Rajasthan Royals and fans
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "IPL 2026: Faf du Plessis reckons Sanju Samson's exit is a massive blow for Rajasthan Royals and fans")
IPL 2026: Faf du Plessis reckons Sanju Samson's exit is a massive blow for Rajasthan Royals and fans Photograph: (AFP)
In November, Sanju Samson was traded to CSK with Ravindra Jadeja going in the opposite direction. This meant Samson would end his long association with the Rajasthan Royals, where he had served for 12 seasons across two spells. In a productive career, he scored 4027 runs from 49 matches.
The Indian Premier League (IPL 2026) season is all set for a fresh start as ten franchises prepare to win the ultimate prize in the world’s premier T20 competition. Rajasthan Royals, 2008 champions, will be one of the favourites to win the title as they start their pre-season. However, unlike last season, the former champions won’t have the services of captain Sanju Samson, who was traded to Chennai Super Kings (CSK) last November.
Du Plessis reckons RR will miss Samson
Speaking on JioHotstar's 'Game Plan - Know Your Team', JioStar expert Faf du Plessis shared his thoughts on Rajasthan Royals losing Sanju Samson, who was the face of the franchise for the last decade. Samson has been instrumental in RR’s recent seasons as they also reached the final in IPL 2022 and were in the Playoffs in IPL 2024.
"If I look at the IPL and the teams, the iconic teams we see around the league, all of them have one marquee Indian player in common, someone who has been the face of the franchise for a period of time, Rohit Sharma, MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli. And Sanju Samson, for me, was that guy at the Rajasthan Royals. Yes, he's of a newer generation, but he has become the face of that franchise. If I think of the Rajasthan Royals, I think Sanju Samson. So, the fact that they've lost that face, I think, is a massive thing for the fans, for the IPL, and for the tournament, because he's played such a big role there."
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In November, Samson was traded to CSK with Ravindra Jadeja going in the opposite direction. This meant Samson would end his long association with the Rajasthan Royals, where he had served for 12 seasons across two spells. In a productive career, he scored 4027 runs from 49 matches.
However, the upcoming season will see him don the colours of CSK, where he will be a key addition with MS Dhoni likely to announce his retirement.
