Before the IPL 2026 auction, the most talked about during the trade window was about Sanju Samson. Sanju Samson had decided to break ties with Rajasthan Royals. In such a situation, Rajasthan Royals went to many teams, but a trade deal was finalized with CSK, in which Rajasthan took Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran in place of Samson. However, Indian cricketer Hanuma Vihari claims that CSK did not need Samson. Why did CSK take Samson? Hanuma Vihari has also given the reason for this. In a video on his Instagram account, Hanuma Vihari told how Samson’s fanbase played a big role in the Super Kings’ decision to trade him to the Royals, because signing the opening batsman for this season was not at the top of their priority list. Hanuma Vihari said, “Samson gets a lot of fan support in the South. When you think about IPL, it is not just about cricket and if you don’t think so, then you are wrong. This is because the owners of IPL think beyond cricket and focus on how much commercial value a player can bring to the team.” He further said, “Sanju Samson is a cricketer who has a huge fan following. Wherever the matches are played, CSK does not need an opener for the next season. Even before signing Sanju Samson, CSK had a lot of opening options for the IPL 2026 season. These include the names of Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ayush Mhatre and Urvil Patel. In such a situation, Samson may have to bat at number 3. This is what Hanuma has said. He said, “Ruturaj Gaikwad is also a player who plays as an opener. So, actually, they did not need Sanju in the team. He also played at No. 3 for Rajasthan.”
