5 major statements made in Sanju Samson's recent chat with R Ashwin amid IPL 2026 trade rumors

Usually the Indian Premier League (IPL) trade window is a dull affair, but Sanju Samson and R Ashwin's desire to leave their respective franchises has lit up the the off-season period after the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) season.

The Rajasthan Royals (RR) skipper has been heavily linked with a move to the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), while the veteran spinner's request for an exit after just one season into his second stint has also come up as a massive surprise.

As a result, it was a massive surprise when Ashwin interviewed Samson as part of his series, 'Kutti Stories With Ash', while releasing it when the exit rumors are possibly at their highest.

On that note, let us take a look at the five major statements made in Sanju Samson's recent chat with R Ashwin amid IPL 2026 trade rumors.

#1 Return to the Indian team as an opening batter

Sanju Samson shed light on what transpired behind the scenes during the revival of his T20I career. The wicket-keeper recalled how he was approached by India T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav regarding the chance to open the innings, before revealing how head coach Gautam Gambhir motivated him after a disastrous start to his stint in the top order.

"Suddenly the change happened after the T20 World Cup. Gautam bhai came in, Surya came in as captain. I was playing a Duleep Trophy game in Andhra. Surya was playing in the other team. That's where Surya told me, ' Chetta, there is a huge opportunity coming up for you. We have seven games lined up, and I am going to give you all seven games as an opener'. Hearing that from the captain's mouth itself, that felt great," Samson said.

Then I played two matches in Sri Lanka after that, I was out for ducks in both matches. The memories of being in and out of the team started flooding in, and I thought that was it. I was a bit down in the dressing room, and Gauti bhai saw it. he came up to me, and asked what happened, I told him I did not capitalise on the chance that I got. He was like,'So? I will remove you from the tesm only if you have scored 21 ducks'," he continued.

#2 Regret over not retaining R Ashwin after IPL 2024

Upon being asked one decision that he would love to change, Samson admitted that he would have retained Ashwin after the IPL 2024 season. Following the end of the three-year cycle, ahead of the mega auction, RR released R Ashwin, while retaining Sanju Samson, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel, Shimron Hetmyer, Riyan Parag, and Sandeep Sharma.

"I think… Not retaining Ash bhai. Correct anna… What do do? This is the truth, anna. We went so far as to have you. What I am saying is the fact, anna. Definitely. " Samson admitted.

#3 Relationship with Rahul Dravid

Sanju Samson and Rahul Dravid go a long way back. The former India batter was the RR captain when the wicket-keeper made his IPL debut in the 2013 season.

He also spend considerable time with the legend, when the latter was tasked with handling the India 'A' and youth setups, as well as being the head of the National Cricket Academy (NCA). Their relationship had another chapter included after Dravid returned to RR as head coach ahead of the 2025 season after his contract with the Indian national team ran out.

"Rahul sir had heard about me, because Shiv Sunder Das was our Kerala coach, so he might have told him. He came up to me and said,'I have heard great things about you, so I am very excited.' So then I started playing, and each and every ball I am hitting sixes, and from behind its like 'Shot Sanju, Shot Sanju'. Rahul sir was quite excited, and after two days of trials, he just came up to me and said, 'Would you like to play for my team?' I was like just tell me when to come," Samson said.

"I never thought that I will become captain of RR and he is going to become a coach. So, that was another twist. RR has meant the world to me, to be very honest," he added.

#4 Using criticism as motivation

The star player has often had a target on his back over the years due to his shot selection and inconsistency at times. Critics have often been left frustrated because of Samson's inability to make his chances count.

He revealed that he used all of the criticism to fuel himself, and make an effort to prove them wrong instead of being demotivated by it.

"All this critics and all, the pressure which we face, sometimes I felt like, I should avoid all that, I should focus on that I have my own pressures, I have my own things to follow, things to achieve, but lately I found out being an Indian cricketer, you have to be in that environment to receive all these things. Take in the right way, try to prove them wrong, or maybe use the energy in some other manner. I have tried to play around with all those critics, and somewhere it has actually helped me," the wicket-keeper said.

#5 Reaction to Vaibhav Suryavanshi's first-ball six on IPL debut

It was Sanju Samson's injury that fast-tracked Vaibhav Suryavanshi's debut in the 2025 IPL season as a 14-year-old. The youngster opened the innings in the skipper's absence, and announced himself to the world with a stunning first-ball six off Shardul Thakur in the home encounter against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG).

The left-handed batter struck an entertaining 20-ball 34 in his maiden outing, which was just the start of a landmark maiden campaign.

"Vaibhav Suryavanshi when he hit the first ball for a six, I was like, ‘That’s cool.. he lucked out’ but then he just went on and on and on… Wow! The quality of the shots he was hitting actually shocked me," Samson said.