Former India batter Subramaniam Badrinath has dropped a massive hint about the ongoing buzz around Sanju Samson leaving Rajasthan Royals. According to Badrinath, it’s not about money or on-field performance, but something much bigger: the Rajasthan Royals’ captaincy future. He suggests that the real tension lies in the rise of the ambitious young talent, Riyan Parag, who’s been floated as a potential captaincy candidate. The whispers of Samson’s desire to part ways with the franchise might be a direct reaction to feeling his leadership position is under threat.
Related Article：Plot Twist?! Will Rajasthan Royals Release Sanju Samson After All
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The Heart of the Matter：A Power Shift
Essentially, Badrinath is suggesting that this isn’t just about money or a random trade request. It’s a deep-seated issue about the Rajasthan Royals’ captaincy future. For years, Sanju Samson has been the face of the franchise. He’s been their leader, their star player, and the one they’ve built the team around.
“Riyan Parag is ready and capable to lead the side” – Sanju Samson pic.twitter.com/cK2pHfBtNP
— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) March 23, 2025
But during the recent IPL season, that dynamic was shaken. When Samson was hurt, the management didn’t just pick any old player to fill in; they chose a young, promising talent in Riyan Parag. Badrinath sees this as a huge signal. It’s like the team was saying, “Hey, we’re not just thinking about you right now, we’re also planning for the future, and Parag is a big part of that plan.”
Samson’s Dilemma
From Samson’s point of view, this creates a tough situation. Imagine being the captain and a decade-long leader of a team, only to see a younger teammate being given a chance to lead in your absence. This isn’t just a temporary fill-in; it’s a direct threat to his status. Badrinath’s quote, “I feel Riyan Parag is the reason. If you consider him for captaincy, how do you expect someone like Samson to stay?” gets right to the core of this. It’s a matter of professional pride.
It suddenly makes far more sense to believe the trade speculations about Sanju Samson leaving Rajasthan Royals. He may believe that he would be better off finding a new franchise where he can begin a new chapter as their main character and that his days as the uncontested leader are coming to an end. The team’s activities appear to have unintentionally heightened the established star’s sentiments of threat from a young, up-and-coming talent.
Youngest to score a T20 1⃣0⃣0⃣ ✅
Fastest TATA IPL hundred by an Indian ✅
Second-fastest hundred in TATA IPL ✅Vaibhav Suryavanshi, TAKE. A. BOW 🙇 ✨
Updates ▶ https://t.co/HvqSuGgTlN#TATAIPL | #RRvGT | @rajasthanroyals pic.twitter.com/sn4HjurqR6
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 28, 2025
The New Blood vs The Old Guard
The rapid ascent of some very talented young players was the catalyst for the entire discussion surrounding Sanju Samson leaving Rajasthan Royals. It all began with 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s amazing rise to prominence as a batting prodigy. He offered the team a fantastic new opening partnership with his explosive, record-breaking IPL century and the aggressive, well-established Yashasvi Jaiswal. This dynamic pairing was so successful that it affected everyone else’s role, including the team’s longtime captain, and caused a significant selection difficulty.
Related Article：Youngest Player to Score Century in IPL：Records Broken by Suryavanshi’s 35-ball Hundred
Samson’s Shaky Spot
This new opening pair meant that Sanju Samson was reportedly pushed down to the number three spot. We don’t have direct quotes of him being “uncomfortable,” but it’s not hard to connect the dots. When allowed to construct an innings at the top of the order, Samson has always performed well. There was undoubtedly some anxiety regarding his position in the team’s new lineup as a result of being moved to a different position and an injury-plagued season that kept him out of action for many games.
Powerful Punch 🤝 Wristy Flick
Riyan Parag with a final flourish 💪#RR eye a strong finish 🧐
Updates ▶ https://t.co/kjdEJydDWe#TATAIPL | #PBKSvRR | @rajasthanroyals pic.twitter.com/CMO22Wetgi
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 5, 2025
The Rise of Riyan Parag
Adding another layer to this drama is Riyan Parag. Samson was out because of an injury; therefore, Parag took over as captain. Despite the team’s lacklustre performance at the time, it surely was a turning point for Parag. His status soared, and he gained priceless leadership experience. As experts have noted, this move created an implicit challenge to Samson’s position, not just as a batsman, but as the team’s long-term leader.
The Chennai Rumour Mill
Sanju Samson is a hot topic in the rumour mill, with many believing he’s got his eye on a move to the Chennai Super Kings (CSK). On paper, it makes a lot of sense: Samson is a gifted batter in the top order, and CSK is probably searching for a well-known replacement to step into those enormous shoes as MS Dhoni’s career comes to an end.
But it’s not as easy as it looks, as Badrinath noted. Fitting Samson into CSK’s batting lineup is like attempting to shove a puzzle piece into the incorrect place, even if he wants to join. CSK has a very reliable and well-established batting order. Bringing in a top-order batsman like Samson would likely mean a huge trade and would significantly shake up a system that has worked so well for them.
🚨 As reported by Cricbuzz yesterday, Rajasthan Royals have reached out to franchises asking for players in a trade deal for Sanju Samson. CSK have reportedly rejected their advances for Jadeja, Ruturaj and Dube!
Who should be on RR’s shortlist for a trade from the other eight… pic.twitter.com/47NY4W8se1
— Cricbuzz (@cricbuzz) August 14, 2025
All of these elements combined to create a real danger to Samson’s formerly safe position, including the unbreakable alliance between Jaiswal and Suryavanshi and the new leadership potential for Riyan Parag. No longer was he the only essential star. Serious concerns regarding the Rajasthan Royals’ captaincy future were raised by this new dynamic, which stoked rumours that Sanju Samson would leave the team in search of a new beginning.
