Ravichandran Ashwin: Rajasthan Royals (RR) captain Sanju Samson came up with a hilarious reply to legendary off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, leaving the latter in splits during a podcast named ‘Kutty Stories’. The funny reply came after Ashwin inquired of Samson about a decision that the latter wanted to remove from his life.
Ravichandran Ashwin: The wicketkeeper-batter came up with a cheeky remark, claiming that he made a mistake by not retaining Ashwin ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction last year. The Kerala-based player then burst into huge laughter, leaving Ashwin in splits.
Ravichandran Ashwin: Speaking to Ashwin’s YouTube channel on Saturday (August 9), Sanju Samson said:
“8:35 – Decision he would like to change – I think… Not retaining Ash bhai (chuckles). Correct anna (big brother)… What to do? This is the truth, anna. We went so far as to have you.”
Ravichandran Ashwin: Notably, the Royals were the fourth team to enter R Ashwin’s bid after Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), and the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at the IPL 2025 auction. RR began the bid at ₹4.60 crore and challenged CSK till ₹9.50 crore. However, the Super Kings came up with the final bid, acquiring Ashwin for ₹9.75 crore. It led to the latter’s reunion with his old franchise after 10 years.
Ravichandran Ashwin: Sanju Samson and R Ashwin are likely to part ways with their respective IPL franchises – Reports
Ravichandran Ashwin: Sanju Samson and R Ashwin are likely to part ways with CSK and RR, respectively, ahead of the IPL 2026 retentions, reported Cricbuzz.
According to the report, there are differences between the franchise and the Royals’ skipper, Samson. The latter has formally requested that RR either trade or release him into the auction. The reports surfaced even after Samson’s decade-long association with RR (since 2013). The Royals had retained him for a whopping ₹18 crore last year.
On the other hand, Ashwin is likely to part ways with five-time champions CSK. Additionally, the 38-year-old may relinquish his role as Director of Cricket Operations at the CSK Academy, a position he has held since last year. With this, he wants to avoid a conflict of interest if he wishes to join another franchise.
Notably, Ashwin was bought by CSK for ₹9.75 crore at the mega auction, but he failed to deliver on his homecoming. He managed to bag only seven wickets in nine games. While the Chennai-based franchise seems keen to increase its purse for the 2026 auction by releasing a few players, Ashwin will aim to prolong his T20 career.
