Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain Ruturaj Gaikwad recently recalled a fascinating past conversation with Sanju Samson ahead of the IPL 2026 season. The CSK skipper revealed that the Kerala batter had expressed curiosity about the Chennai Super Kings’ team culture and environment before the trade.
Ahead of the mini auction, Sanju Samson joined the Super Kings, while Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran were traded to the Rajasthan Royals. Chennai Super Kings will begin their new campaign against Rajasthan Royals in Guwahati on Monday, March 30. Notably, MS Dhoni has been ruled out for two weeks.
During an interaction with Abhinav Mukund, Ruturaj Gaikwad revealed that he advised Sanju Samson to explore the opportunity to join the Chennai Super Kings.
“I remember a conversation we had two to three years back, we were in England. You know, he was asking about what is happening in CSK, how things are, and all that. And I said, I feel being a South boy, you should explore this opportunity, you should be here,” Ruturaj said.
I Don’t Know If I Was The First One Or Not - Ruturaj Gaikwad
Ruturaj Gaikwad further stated that Sanju Samson valued the franchise culture over any future captaincy prospects when discussing the potential move. Gaikwad also added that he and Samson shared struggles within the Indian national cricket setup.
“I don’t know if I was the first one or not (to bring this up to him) but I mean, we have been friends for a long time now and we we have been in and out of the Indian team, we kind of had the same journey, same struggles."
"So that’s what I had expressed to him. The first thing I said to him when he asked will you be the next captain… I said I don’t know, I don’t really care about captaincy, I like playing here, I like the atmosphere," Ruturaj stated.
Samson will enter IPL 2026 after a spectacular ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 campaign. He secured the Player of the Tournament award after scoring three consecutive half-centuries against West Indies, England, and New Zealand.
Sanju Samson Replied, 'I Want To Play Under You' - Ruturaj Gaikwad
Gaikwad shared that Sanju Samson dismissed any captaincy aspirations for the Chennai Super Kings franchise. The skipper said that Samson showed complete willingness to contribute as a dedicated player.
“I like how the culture is and I am really happy as a player as well. He, in fact, immediately replied ‘I don’t want to come in a situation where I want to be the captain there, I want to play under you, it is your team, it is your franchise and I will be happy to be there just as a player, but whenever I get an opportunity, I would definitely love to come," he concluded.
?️ Ruturaj on Sanju ?pic.twitter.com/8c5z9Rx4l7
— Cricbuzz (@cricbuzz) March 28, 2026With MS Dhoni missing the initial two weeks due to a calf injury, Samson will take over the wicketkeeping duties. Gaikwad and Samson will open the batting together.
Also read: Ahmed Shehzad summoned as former Pakistan skipper takes legal action over serious allegations
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