With the trading window for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 officially opening amidst great speculation, former Indian cricketer turned commentator Aakash Chopra has thrown light on which teams could target Rajasthan Royals' (RR) explosive wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson if he is released. Samson, who has reportedly requested RR for his release before the auction, has been courted by a number of teams wanting to revamp their lineups. Chopra pointed to 3 big IPL franchises as top favorites to sign Samson, seeing strategic steps that would impact IPL's team setups in the coming seasons. Based on reports such as Cricbuzz and comments by Chopra, Samson's next most likely destination may be the Chennai Super Kings (CSK). Chopra spoke on his YouTube channel that CSK will be eager to look beyond MS Dhoni, whose playing future is uncertain. While CSK signed Urvil Patel, Chopra stressed that the franchise requires a big-name player to replace the leadership and batting vacuum that will inevitably be produced by a post-Dhoni era. He said that Samson is the ideal candidate to do so, providing batting firepower alongside good wicketkeeping. Chopra also hypothesized that CSK could make a trade proposal with Ravichandran Ashwin, who has previous connections with Rajasthan Royals. This trade could satisfy RR's need for a spinner as CSK acquires its possible Dhoni replacement. Here is what Chopra said: “They can release Ashwin. It could be Ashwin plus some money because Rajasthan need a spinner. Ashwin has played there earlier too.” Also Read | 4 IPL Teams That Should Go After Jamie Smith in IPL 2026 Mini Auction Chopra sees KKR as the most hungry franchise to sign Samson, observing that KKR's immediate Indian wicketkeeper-batter options are scarce. Chopra opined that KKR can release Venkatesh Iyer, with the substantial salary cap space this can create to fund the addition of Samson. This can improve the batting unit of KKR, which has struggled with consistency, and also perhaps bring Samson into a captaincy role. Chopra recognized Ajinkya Rahane's work but suggested that a captain of Samson's caliber can change the fortunes of the team. Interestingly, Mumbai Indians (MI) also feature as a shrewd outsider keen on Samson. Chopra explained that MI’s Ryan Rickelton is an overseas player, and Jonny Bairstow, who opened after the mid-season break, is likely to be released. With Rohit Sharma possibly nearing IPL retirement, MI will require a strong opening batter and experienced player, roles Samson could fulfill effectively.