Sanju Samson's move to Chennai Super Kings faces new hurdles, as the high-profile IPL trade remains in suspense. Chennai is keen to bring Rajasthan Royals captain Samson on board, proposing a swap that involves veteran Ravindra Jadeja and England's Sam Curran moving to Rajasthan.

The process, however, has stalled for two key reasons. First, as Curran counts as an overseas player, Rajasthan must release one of their current foreign stars to accommodate him-a decision yet unresolved. Secondly, Curran's salary figure of ₹2.4 crore far exceeds the ₹30 lakh auction purse left with the Royals. Rajasthan would need to part ways with a top player to get Jadeja and Curran on their roster.

Despite these financial and regulatory knots, both Jadeja and Curran have signed consent letters for the transfer to Rajasthan, while Samson has agreed to head south to Chennai. The player swap now awaits final clearance from the BCCI and the ECB, likely to be wrapped up within 48 hours, according to CSK sources.

CSK's birthday wish

Fueling speculation, Chennai Super Kings set social media abuzz this morning by wishing Sanju Samson a happy 31st birthday-complete with the signature 'Whistle Podu' hashtag. Fans read it as a strong signal of Samson's imminent arrival in yellow. The celebratory messages poured in from franchises including Rajasthan Royals, Delhi Capitals, and Lucknow Super Giants.

All teams, meanwhile, are racing against a November 15 deadline to confirm their retained players ahead of the IPL auction. Insiders expect an official announcement of Sanju Samson's switch before the cutoff.

In a separate transfer setback, Chennai Super Kings failed in their bid to replace R Ashwin after Gujarat Titans declined CSK's offer for Washington Sundar. This leaves Chennai still searching for the right spin reinforcement for the upcoming season.

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