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In an eventful day when all eyes were on the Delhi blast, there were a lot of stories unfolding in cricket, especially from the Indian Premier League. With just five days to go for the IPL Retention 2026, rumours are rife on the trade of Sanju Samson and Washington Sundar. For Rajasthan Royals, though, that’s not the only concern as they are looking to shift their base to Guwahati. In some cricket news from Team India, head coach Gautam Gambhir sounded the alarm bells for players ahead of T20 World Cup.
In international cricket news, Pakistani pacer Naseem Shah’s house was attacked in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa while the NZ vs WI 4th T20I was washed out after just 6.3 overs. Following their Women’s World Cup triumph, Harmanpreet Kaur & Co could soon get a foreign strength and conditioning coach.
Why is Gautam ‘Gambhir’?
With just 10 matches to go for the T20 World Cup 2026, the countdown is on for Team India. But despite a 2-1 series victory in Australia after Asia Cup triumph, head coach Gautam Gambhir believes the team is yet to achieve their target. While he did not disclose the exact nature of the targets, India are yet to settle on a wicketkeeper-batter after reintroducing Shubman Gill in the T20I XI. There are also concerns about fielding and fitness.
“Our dressing room has been very transparent and honest, and we aim to maintain that. I think we’re still not at our target for the T20 World Cup. Hopefully, the players understand the importance of being fit. We have three months left to reach where we need to be,” Gautam Gambhir said in a video posted by BCCI on X.
Sanju Samson latest
The Sanju Samson saga seems endless. With just four days to go for the IPL retention, Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals are involved in an advanced level of discussion for a possible trade that also includes players like Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran. But reports have emerged that PBKS also tried to bring in Samson despite the top-order being settled. Ravichandran Ashwin revealed that PBKS tried to trade Marcus Stoinis for Samson. RR wanted an unnamed bowler along with Stoinis, but the deal fell through.
No Washington Sundar at CSK
CSK fans will have to wait for Washington Sundar to don the yellow jersey. With Chennai Super Kings nearing the completion of a trade deal for Sanju Samson, they don’t have enough in their purse to get Sundar from Gujarat Titans. GT head coach Ashish Nehra earlier rejected an all-cash deal for the Tamil Nadu all-rounder. Sundar could have been the perfect replacement for R Ashwin at CSK but despite playing a part-time role at GT last season, Nehra believes the youngster has more to offer in IPL 2026. Sundar has risen to the occasion with both bat and ball for Team India in Test and T20Is.
RR captaincy dilemma
With Sanju Samson set to leave Rajasthan Royals after 11 seasons, the inaugural IPL champions now have to appoint a new captain. Yashasvi Jaiswal, Riyan Parag and even Dhruv Jurel have emerged as the options. Parag captained RR last season when Samson was sidelined due to an injury. However, the RR management is keen to offer the leadership role to Jurel after a stellar show with the bat. While it may come as a surprise since both Jaiswal and Parag have been the leaders in the race, as per reports, Jurel could be the next RR captain.
RR to shift base
However, Rajasthan Royals have more problems to deal with apart from Samson’s trade deal and selecting the next captain. RR are also mulling shifting their base from Jaipur to Guwahati. The franchise is not happy with the Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA). The RCA ad hoc committee convener, Jaideep Bihani, accused the team of fixing matches in IPL 2025. RR and RCA managements have had issues in the recent past. RR also played a few matches in Guwahati in the last two seasons, making it their second home. But if the move becomes permanent, Northeast India could get its first IPL team. But will RR retain its name, Rajasthan Royals or rename Guwahati Royals?
Naseem Shah’s house attacked
In troubling news from Pakistan, their star pacer Naseem Shah’s house in Lower Dir of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa came under attack in the early hours of Monday. The gunmen opened fire at the house, damaging windows, the main door and a parked car. Naseem Shah is on national duty as Pakistan take on Sri Lanka in the 1st ODI in Rawalpindi. The local police launched a probe and arrested five suspects on Monday.
The post DRS, Nov 11: RR to become Guwahati Royals? Latest on Sanju Samson, Washington Sundar appeared first on Inside Sport India.
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