'Destiny has..': Samson on teaming up with Dhoni at CSK
What's the story
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have shared a special video of the first-ever meeting between MS Dhoni and Sanju Samson. The clip shows Samson talking to Dhoni, with his voiceover expressing how much this moment means to him. "Destiny has got me to come and play with him in one dressing room," he said, adding that he was excited about the opportunity to interact with and play alongside Dhoni.
Team transition
Samson embarks on new chapter with CSK
The video captures a moment of great significance as Samson embarks on a new chapter in his IPL career. After spending over a decade as the face of Rajasthan Royals (RR) and playing 11 seasons with them, he has now signed with CSK for the 2026 Indian Premier League. The trade deal saw RR getting Sam Curran and Ravindra Jadeja in return.
Tournament triumph
Samson's World Cup heroics propel him to CSK
Samson's move to CSK comes after an impressive stint with the Indian team. He played a pivotal role in India's victory at the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, where he was named Player of the Tournament. After a rough start and being benched earlier in the tournament, Samson made a comeback during Super 8 against Zimbabwe and turned things around spectacularly.
Statement
Here's what Samson said
Samson further stated how jubiliated he is to be around Dhoni for a couple of months. "Like that couple of months, I am very very excited. Definitely very genuinely excited to meet him and interact with him. Sit, have breakfast with him, practice with him, play match with him, move out," he stated in the video. Samson, who is also a wicket-keeper Dhoni, is likely to play as a specialist batter in the upcoming season.
Milestone achievements
Records galore for Samson in T20 World Cup 2026
In just five innings, Samson scored 321 runs, breaking Virat Kohli's record of 319 runs in the 2014 edition for most runs by an Indian in a T20 World Cup. He also set a new record for most sixes in a single World Cup with 24. Along the way, he broke several other records including most runs in consecutive innings for India and highest score by an Indian in both T20 World Cup final and chase.
Twitter Post
Here is the video!
𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘺, 𝘚𝘢𝘯𝘫𝘶 ✨#WhistlePodu #Yellove pic.twitter.com/3xszspnsDd
— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) March 20, 2026
Deal
Samson has been in red-hot form lately
CSK, who finished last in IPL 2025, traded out prominent all-rounders Curran and Jadeja to acquire Samson from Rajasthan Royals for ₹18 crore. Notably, Samson, who was RR's designated captain from 2021 to 2025 season, will now play under Ruturaj Gaikwad's leadership. The former is set to open the innings after a record-breaking run in the 2026 T20 World Cup, where Samson bagged the Player-of-the-Tournament award with three back-to-back scores of 85-plus.
Career
Here are his IPL stats
Last season, Samson became the first player to score 4,000 runs for Rajasthan Royals in IPL history, as per ESPNcricinfo. He played 149 matches for the franchise and scored 4,027 runs at an average of 31.70 with a strike rate of 141.24. The tally includes two centuries and 23 fifties. Overall, he boasts 4,704 runs from 117 IPL games at 30.94 (SR: 139.04). This includes 29 scores of 50 or more, including three tons.