When it became clear to Sanju Samson that he would be leaving the Rajasthan unit, both DC and RR were locked in negotiations and many tradeable options were discussed along the way. (BCCI photo) NEW DELHI: Sanju Samson and Tristan Stubbs are likely to be involved in the first big deal ahead of the IPL auction later this year as Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Delhi Capitals (DC) move closer to finalizing the deal. When it became clear to Samson that he would be leaving the Royals, both DC and RR were locked in negotiations, with many tradeable options discussed along the way. It was reliably learned that DC would like to have Samson on board, but were unwilling to trade any of their core players.KL Rahul’s name has come up in trade talks but DC have been reluctant to let go of a player who was their key player last season and brings a lot of brand value. RR are comfortable with the idea of having Stubbs in their camp but it is understood they have asked for another uncapped player alongside the South African. However, that didn’t sit well with the Capitals and there is a distinct possibility of seeing Samson back in DC colors from the next IPL season.
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In the past few months, RR have also held discussions with other franchises regarding Samson and TimesofIndia.com can confirm an approach to Chennai Super Kings (CSK) for Ravindra Jadeja. RR wanted to trade Samson for Jadeja, but talks did not materialize after initial interest. At this stage, Samson to DC and Stubbs to RR, barring any late hiccups from the two sides, seems very likely.KKR want KL Rahul but for whom?Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), meanwhile, continue to pressurize KL Rahul as they are desperate to have a top-order captain and batsman in their ranks. The camaraderie between new head coach Abhishek Nayar and Rahul is no secret and even the top management of the franchise is keen on his involvement. But the big question remains, who will go the other way? KKR don’t seem to have a tradable asset to excite the DC unit yet. Andre Russell’s name has often been bandied about as an option, but DC wants to invest in youth and players they can rely on over the next few years. The only marketable assets in the team are Rinku Singh and Varun Chakravarthy and it seems unlikely that they will let go of either of them.Venkatesh Iyer’s poor season last year is unlikely to attract any serious suitors and the all-rounder could well find himself back in the auction pool. KKR are one of the franchises likely to go hard for Cameron Green and the release of Iyer gives them the wallet to do so. The KL Rahul situation continues to be sensitively placed and if there is a DC-RR swap, KKR could pursue it with more intent.
