Ahead of the Indian Premier League’s (IPL) 2026 mini-auction, the Delhi Capitals are reportedly preparing to sell Tristan Stubbs to the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in order to get back wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson. A month or so before the mini-auction, the trade talks are taking place.
Both teams have been actively engaged in talks, looking at a number of trade options, as Samson is expected to leave Rajasthan, according to a TOI report. But according to the report, the Delhi Capitals are reluctant to let go of any of its key players even if they are eager to sign Samson.
The name of KL Rahul, the Indian Test opener, was also brought up during the trade negotiations. Delhi, however, was reluctant to let him go because he was one of their best players from the previous campaign and still has a lot of brand value for the team.
According to sources, the Rajasthan Royals wanted to add another uncapped cricket player to their team in exchange for Tristan Stubbs. The Delhi Capitals turned down the proposal, though, which increased the likelihood that Sanju Samson will play for the DCs again in the upcoming IPL season.
Additionally, it is known that Rajasthan has been investigating trade possibilities for Samson with other teams in recent months, including a proposal to the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) involving Ravindra Jadeja. A Samson-for-Jadeja trade was allegedly proposed by the Royals, but the negotiations never got past the first round.
If there aren’t any last-minute obstacles, Samson’s transfer to Delhi and Tristan Stubbs’ transfer to Rajasthan are still planned.
Rahul is still being pursued by the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), who want to sign a trustworthy top-order batsman and a proven leader. It is commonly known that Rahul and new head coach Abhishek Nayar get along well, and the KKR management is eager to have him join the team. But at the moment, Kolkata doesn’t seem to have a tradeable asset that would pique the Delhi franchise’s interest enough.
India
