"Don't lie" - When R Ashwin called out a fan for attributing fake Sanju Samson quote to him in 2023

R Ashwin and Sanju Samson are the two biggest talking points amid the Indian Premier League (IPL) trade window during the off-season. Both players are reportedly looking for an exit route from their current franchises ahead of the 2026 mini-auction.

Sanju Samson has been a candidate that the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have admired for quite a while. The five-time winners are in a stage where they have to prepare for the future without MS Dhoni, and the Kerala player is perhaps at the top of the bracket when it comes to Indian wicket-keepers in the entire competition.

The origins of the link between Samson and CSK began ahead of the IPL 2024 season, but at that stage, it was purely speculation, and nothing else. But as it is with the Indian cricketing circuit, it did not take long for fans to go overboard with incomplete and possibly inaccurate information.

A fan posted fake quotes on social media, and attributed them to Ashwin, who was Samson's teammate at the Rajasthan Royals (RR) back then. The veteran spinner did not hold back, and issued a response to alert the users.

“Ashwin on his YouTube channel – Sanju Samson was approached by CSK as a captain which was nearly finalised. But it didn’t go through Sanju rejected their offer. There’s a definite possibility in future," the fan's tweet read.

“Fake news! Don’t lie quoting me," Ashwin responded.

Ashwin 🇮🇳

@ashwinravi99

@CricketWithRosh Fake news! Dont lie quoting me 🙏

CSK did not have to address their wicket-keeping department as MS Dhoni was retained as an uncapped player after the 2024 season, while Devon Conway was also roped in again during the mega-auction, giving the side a back-up option, if required.

However, CSK's horrid campaign in IPL 2025 has forced them to take urgent measures, and the acquisition of a seasoned campaigner like Samson would arguably be ideal in more than one way.

RR yet to approve Samson's request for release ahead of IPL 2026 mini auction

According to a report by ESPN Cricinfo, Samson expressed his desire to part ways with the franchise after the culmination of IPL 2025. RR finished ninth in the points table amid a start-stop campaign for the skipper, who battled a finger injury.

The RR management, including owner Manoj Badale and head coach Rahul Dravid, will make the final call soon. The franchise have the often to trade the player to another franchise for a player in return, or in an all-cash deal. The other route is to release the player into the auction pool.