Riyan Parag has shared his thoughts on Sanju Samson’s departure from Rajasthan Royals ahead of the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) season. The wicketkeeper-batsman will play for the Chennai Super Kings next season.

Last month, Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings agreed on a trade deal that saw Sanju Samson heading to the Chennai-based franchise in exchange for all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran. The trade deal ends Samson’s long association with the inaugural Indian Premier League champions.

Samson played for Rajasthan Royals for 11 seasons. He made his IPL debut with Royals in 2013 and played for them until 2015, after which he was banned for two years. Samson rejoined the team after returning in 2018. He has been with the same team since then. Samson has also led the Royals since 2021.

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Riyan Parag on Sanju Samson’s departure:

Samson has been a fixture in the Royals dressing room ever since Riyan Parag signed for the Royals. Riyan Parag made his IPL debut for Royals in 2019 and since then, he has shared the dressing room with Samson.

As expected, the Assam star said he doesn’t want to think about Samson’s departure as it would make him sad. Parag spoke about Samson’s contribution during his career and said he has a very close bond with the former Royals skipper.

“Sanju bhai has played a huge role in my career. I didn’t want to think about him leaving because I would feel bad if I did – I was very close to him and when I first joined the team, he never made me feel like I was just a 17-18-year-old kid from Assam.

“Maybe it’s also because he had a similar background and was also from Kerala and as a young player of 16-18 years old where not many cricketers came out – he taught me a lot and gave me a lot of love,” Riyan Parag added.

With Samson’s departure, Royals will announce a new captain ahead of IPL 2026. According to reports, Parag is one of the favorites to be captain. Parag has emerged as one of the Royals’ most important players in recent seasons and can take on the task of leading the team.