Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra opined that Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) should be the most desperate team to get Sanju Samson via trade ahead of IPL 2026. His remarks come a day after reports claimed that the RR captain reportedly sought his release from the team ahead of the next season. While CSK are reportedly interested in the keeper-batter, Chopra feels it is KKR who need Samson more than the five-time champions.
Should KKR trade Venkatesh Iyer for Sanju Samson?
In a video on his YouTube channel, Chopra pointed out that not only do KKR lack a Indian keeper-batter but also said that there was nothing wrong in getting a captain in the form of Samson. He said that the team could benefit from making Sanju the skipper even though Ajinkya Rahane did a good job in IPL 2025. Chopra claimed that by releasing southpaw Venkatesh Iyer, KKR could free up Rs 24 crore which they can use to get Samson and that would make a difference.
“KKR should be the most desperate team. However, Ajinkya Rahane as a batter, either he opens or else the batting order has been a bit of a problem. They have a player they can release as well. If they wish, they can release Venkatesh Iyer, free up nearly ₹24 crore, and then they can actually make a difference,” Chopra said.
Venkatesh Iyer was bought back by KKR for a whooping Rs 23.75 crore. However, the southpaw simply failed to fire in IPL 2025, managing to score just 142 runs from 11 matches, averaging 20.28.
Royals had retained Samson for Rs 18 crore- the highest bracket – before the IPL 2025 auction. However, in the course of battling multiple injuries, the keeper-batter only featured in 9 matches and had a rather sub-par season with the bat. Riyan Parag was handed over the captaincy while Vaibhav Suryavanshi became Yashasvi Jaiswal’s new opening partner.
IPL 2026 trade: ‘Desperate KKR can release Venkatesh Iyer to get Sanju Samson’ Inside Sport India.
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