India wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson has spoken about the emotional decision to leave Rajasthan Royals after more than a decade with the franchise, admitting it was among the hardest choices of his career. However, the opportunity to join Chennai Super Kings, where he already shared strong relationships with MS Dhoni and Ruturaj Gaikwad, convinced him it was the right step. After captaining Rajasthan Royals for five seasons, Samson joined CSK through a trade ahead of IPL 2026. Reflecting on the move, he said there came a point when he felt both he and the franchise were ready to move in different directions. “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 told 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. Although multiple teams were interested, Samson said CSK stood out because of the environment, the people around the franchise and the influence of Dhoni. “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. Samson also looked back at his childhood admiration for Dhoni, revealing that the former India captain inspired him to dream of representing the country one day. “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.” Now a CSK player, Samson said he still hopes to fulfil that dream by sharing the crease with Dhoni, who missed the entire IPL 2026 season because of a calf injury. The 31-year-old also recalled how his IPL career began in 2013 with Rajasthan Royals. Frustrated after spending the opening games on the bench, he approached then captain Rahul Dravid, who urged him to remain patient. “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.'” His opportunity arrived only after wicketkeeper Dishant Yagnik suffered an injury. “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.”
