Indian wicketkeeper-batsman Sanju Samson stated that leaving the Rajasthan Royals after more than ten years of service was one of the hardest decisions of his career. However, he found it easy to move to the Chennai Super Kings because of his strong bond with Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Ruturaj Gaikwad.
“Moving on from RR was a very big decision for me. I believe that after playing for a team for some time you start to feel like this is your team and nobody can remove you. But I always had the awareness that there is a limited time for everyone at one place,” Samson, who led the Royals for five years before moving to CSK through a trade ahead of IPL 2026, was quoted by PTI telling JioStar’s ‘Superstars’.
“You do your part, and you move out and after the end of IPL 2025, a point came when I felt that I should move on. I told myself that the boys are ready, and RR is ready to play without Sanju Samson. That is when I thought of leaving,” he added.
After leaving RR, the Kerala cricketer claimed he had a few options, but he decided for Chennai Super Kings because it seemed like the best fit for his style of play. Samson went on to say that it was a unique feeling to finally put on the iconic yellow jersey.
“There were two or three options at that time. But, honestly, CSK, Mahi bhai’s influence, the franchise itself, and my friends there, especially Ruturaj, meant I had great connections.
“Based on what I had heard about CSK from other players, I felt that this franchise was my type. If I go there, it will be very good for me. I had wished for that, but a trade is a tricky thing. I want to go there, but do they want me? And the original team needs to get what they want in return. Everyone has to agree. It was a major turning point. Luckily, I ended up in CSK. It was a great feeling,” he said.
The 31-year-old Samson looked up to Dhoni’s brave hitting style as a youngster and frequently dreamed of the day he would be able to play for India.
“The way he carried himself and his aggressive batting style really attracted me. He used to appear in the ads, and I would cut out his picture and stick it in my diary. Every kid has an idol, and Mahi bhai was mine. As a child, I used to watch India play every day. Mahi bhai would be captaining and winning matches. I would go to sleep thinking, ‘I have to play one day too.’ I used to dream of batting with him, building a partnership, and fielding alongside him.”
Samson, who is currently a member of the CSK lineup, stated that batting with Dhoni is one of his greatest aspirations. Samson stated he hasn’t lost hope of playing with Dhoni despite the fact that he missed the entire 2026 IPL season due to a calf injury.
Samson recalled how he was given his first IPL chance, saying that he sat on the Rajasthan Royals bench for the first few games before mustering the courage to speak with then-captain Rahul Dravid.
“He calmly explained that I needed to be patient and that my time would come. I was frustrated and disappointed after hearing that, so I took out all my anger in the nets. I would go to the nets and hit sixes, thinking, ‘I’ll show them.'”
He got a fortunate break when wicketkeeper Dishant Yagnik got injured.
“There was no plan to play me, but Dishant bhai got injured for one match. So they played me against Punjab (then KXIP), which was my debut in the IPL in 2013, and I won that game for the team.
“It was my first match. I scored 27 not out batting at number 6. I also got three-four dismissals while keeping the wickets. But in the next match, Dishant bhai was fit again, and I was dropped.”
