In Sanju, CSK have found a worthy successor to 'Thala' Dhoni

Ever since the reports of Chennai Super Kings (CSK) attempting to poach Sanju Samson from Rajasthan Royals surfaced, it was evident that the five-time IPL champions were looking for a worthy successor to MS Dhoni, who has been the face of the franchise since 2008.

Sanju Samson’s captaincy profile seems to align perfectly with what CSK is seeking. Since taking over as Rajasthan Royals' captain in 2021, Samson has steered the team with steady performances, leading them to two playoff appearances.

Under his leadership, Rajasthan reached the IPL final in 2022 but fell short against Gujarat Titans. The following year, the Royals finished 5th, missing a playoff spot by just 2 points. In the 2024 season, Rajasthan secured 3rd place but was eliminated by Sunrisers Hyderabad in the second qualifier.

Despite these successes, the 2025 season has been a tough one for Rajasthan, who finished in 9th place. Much of the season saw an injured Sanju Samson sidelined, with Riyan Parag stepping in to lead the team in his absence.

However, Chennai remain undeterred in their pursuit of Sanju, having traded veteran Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran to Rajasthan for the Malayali skipper. With 4,704 runs under his belt in the IPL, Sanju has been the top scorer for Rajasthan in both the 2020 and 2021 seasons. His fearless batting and ability to lead the team under pressure have made him a natural fit for CSK, who see him as the perfect successor to MS Dhoni, famously known as Captain Cool.

Dhoni led Chennai to five IPL titles before stepping down as captain in 2023. Except for the 2020 and 2022 seasons, CSK consistently reached the playoffs under his leadership.

Ruturaj Gaikwad then took over as skipper, but the team’s performances failed to live up to expectations. CSK struggled throughout the season and eventually finished at the bottom of the table. In April 2025, Dhoni reclaimed the captaincy from Gaikwad after he was injured. 

With the latest announcement, there is now an opportunity for the Kerala wicket-keeper batter to share the dressing room with his childhood hero. Sanju made his IPL debut in 2013, but his much-awaited meeting with Dhoni happened only during the 2020 season, which was held in the UAE due to the COVID-19 lockdown.

"As every young Indian cricketer, I just wanted to be around M S Dhoni. Just to sit around him was a dream as a young cricketer," Sanju said in a special IPL show released on JioHotstar. He said it had always been difficult to get access to Dhoni because of his superstardom. "Each time I tried to meet him, there were 10 guys on this side and another 10 there. I went and met Mahi bhai after eight years of my IPL. I waited. First, I had to win a match against CSK."

"I scored 70 or 80 and was the man of the match. After that, I went and met Mahi bhai," Sanju said.