Former Indian star cricketer Ajinkya Rahane made a startling observation on India’s 2026 T20 World Cup hero, Sanju Samson. The former CSK star feels that Samson has something strikingly similar to the former Indian skipper MS Dhoni, and that’s not his explosiveness.
Sanju Samson was part of India’s T20I XI under Gautam Gambhir, and he took T20I cricket by storm back in 2024. He became the first batter with three centuries in T20I cricket in a single calendar year. He also scored two centuries on India’s tour to South Africa.
However, Sanju did not make the best start to 2025, and soon after the Champions Trophy, when Shubman Gill made his way back to the Indian team, Samson had to compromise his position for the Indian vice-captain. This marked a huge jolt to his campaign, and Samson was eventually dropped from the team for having failed to produce an impact in the middle order.
Until yesterday, no one would have believed that Sanju Samson could win the games for India in such a dominant fashion after his poor streak through the New Zealand series. However, Samson showed the character of a true star and performed at the biggest stage for India.
Less than 100 runs across 5 T20I games in the New Zealand series, to 321 runs, the second highest in the ICC T20 World Cup in just 5 games. Samson's innings were not only a relief for India, but also a major challenge for oppositions who were unprepared for the explosive right-hander.
Earlier, Gautam Gambhir also mentioned that Samson's rise to the occasion and his incorporation into the India team were to add firepower to the Indian top order and not just a forced change due to India's struggles against off-spin.
He is going to have fans from all over India- Ajinkya Rahane
Out-of-favour India star Ajinkya Rahane feels Samson, who had a reputation across the southern states until now, will now be loved and respected across the country. Samson was truly India's hero in their dominant three-match winning streak against three giants of international cricket.
"Sanju had a massive fanbase from the South of India. Now he is playing for Chennai, but from here on, he is going to have fans from all over India. The runs he has scored and the contributions he has made have been amazing.
"It's so good to see, as a player, it feels really nice when fans are behind you. When fans are just screaming and saying to take Sanju Samson in the team, and we know why they were talking about Sanju Samson," observed Ajinkya Rahane.
Bit similar to MS Dhoni- Ajinkya Rahane
Samson has been traded off to the Chennai Super Kings by the Rajasthan Royals, and they might be regretting it a bit after witnessing his recent exploits in the ICC T20 World Cup. However, this is a moment of anticipation for the CSK fans, as the South Indian superstar will now play for the Men in Yellow in the IPL.
The IPL season begins on the 28th of March, and former CSK star Ajinkya Rahane has noted some remarkable resemblance between the CSK veteran MS Dhoni and the new poster boy, Sanju Samson.
'Sanju Samson has the calm aura like MS Dhoni' ?How did Samson turn it around in the T20 World Cup❓@ajinkyarahane88 & @MichaelVaughan discuss, on Cricbuzz Live ?#T20WorldCup #INDvNZ pic.twitter.com/2aCjpzvR8T
— Cricbuzz (@cricbuzz) March 9, 2026"He is a quality player; he follows MS Dhoni as well. Now he is playing for the Chennai Super Kings. He keeps himself really calm and composed under pressure, making him a bit similar to MS Dhoni. MS has always liked to keep it calm. As I said, Sanju has always had a massive fan following from South India, but now it's all over India."
ALSO READ: Not Jasprit Bumrah or Sanju Samson! Kris Srikkanth names India’s real hero after India's dominant win in T20 WC final
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