Jos Buttler’s Exit Main Reason Behind Rift Between Sanju Samson And Rajasthan Royals

Sanju Samson’s future with Rajasthan Royals is hanging in the balance, with reports suggesting his fallout with the management began after Jos Buttler’s release. According to Cricbuzz, Samson was deeply upset when RR decided to retain Shimron Hetmyer over Buttler before IPL 2025.

Samson, in an interview with Star Sports earlier this year, admitted it was one of the toughest moments of his IPL career.

“Letting him go has been one of the most challenging decisions for me. If I could change one thing in the IPL, I would change the rule of releasing players every three years,” he said, recalling a conversation with Buttler over dinner during the England series.

Buttler, who moved to Gujarat Titans in 2025, left behind a strong legacy at RR. He has scored 4120 runs in 121 IPL matches, including 538 runs in the 2025 season at a strike rate of 163.03. His exit broke a key part of RR’s leadership and batting core, something Samson reportedly wanted to preserve.

Following the fallout, Samson formally requested a trade or release. Owner Manoj Badale is now directly handling talks with other franchises. CSK, believed to be Samson’s preferred destination, has rejected RR’s demands for Ravindra Jadeja, Ruturaj Gaikwad, or Shivam Dube in exchange.

Despite the tensions, Samson has spoken respectfully about RR. On a podcast with Ravichandran Ashwin, he said, “The Rajasthan Royals setup means a world to me,” and praised youngster Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who has taken his spot in the batting order.

If no deal is struck, Samson could still play for RR in IPL 2026, but insiders believe that is becoming less likely with each passing week. Multiple teams remain interested, and his future is now one of the biggest storylines before the auction.