New Delhi: Team India wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson broke his silence on joining the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) after the franchise’s much-anticipated trade deal with the Rajasthan Royals (RR) ahead of the mini-auction for the IPL 2026 season.
CSK posted a video on their social media page where Samson donned the ‘yellow jersey’ for the first time. He had been traded from the RR for Rs 18 Crore. Sanju expressed his old desire to be around legendary former India and CSK captain MS Dhoni, and thanked his destiny for now getting to share the same dressing room with him.
Ahead of the season, CSK shared an interview with Samson where the wicketkeeper-batter said that he first met MS Dhoni when he was 19 and got selected in the Indian team for the first time. Samson further added that he went on a UK tour, and MS Dhoni was the captain.
“I saw him for the first time and interacted with him for 10-20 days. After that I used to see him during the IPL. There will always be a crowd in front of him. Five people here, 10 people there. I used to think ‘OK I can’t meet him here, I will have to met him separately,” said Samson in a video shared by CSK on their YouTube Channel.
He further added that destiny has brought him to come and play with him in one dressing room. CSK secured Samson through a high-value trade that sent seasoned all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran to the Rajasthan Royals.
“I’m very excited to meet and interact with him. Sit have breakfast with him, practice with him, play with him. Wow! Just thinking about it makes me very happy,” he added.
‘I want to play under Gaikwad’s captaincy’
Sanju Samson, who became RR captain in 2021 and led the franchise to the IPL final in 2022, has expressed his eagerness to play under the captaincy of Ruturaj Gaikwad.
“Rutu is a good friend of mine. He is the Captain and I want to play under his captaincy. I want to be with him as a leader,” Samson said.
Samson has scored 4704 runs in 177 IPL matches, smashing three hundreds and 26 fifties.