Sanju Samson opens up on Rajasthan Royals exit and CSK move
One of the most exciting events of the IPL off-season is coming up. Sanju Samson is opening up for Rajasthan Royals and CSK. The 31-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman is preparing for his first season with the Chennai Super Kings, and the intrigue is heightened by the fact that his new team will face his former team in the tournament’s opening match.
Sanju Samson opens up on Rajasthan Royals exit and CSK move: why he left
There were various rumors about the reasons for the split with the Royals. The only official information was that Samson himself expressed his desire to leave the team during the 2025 season. Now, speaking to reporters in Trivandrum, SSanju Samson opens up on Rajasthan Royals exit and CSK move.
“I left Rajasthan because I felt my time with the team was over,” he said. The phrase sounded without any emotion, more like a statement of fact. After 11 seasons with the Royals and reaching the Finals with them in 2022, Samson apparently felt he needed a new challenge to grow. Rajasthan received a substantial compensation for him—INR 18 crore—but they lost not just a player, but a leader who had led the team to the final.
The calendar was designed as if they were deliberately trying to add drama. On March 30, Chennai opens the cricket season in Guwahati against their old team. In his first match in the yellow shirt, Samson will face those with whom he has shared the dressing room for more than ten years.
The player himself doesn’t seem bothered by this fact. No unnecessary sentimentality. ” This will be the first time I play against them,” he says. “But I don’t let emotions control me on the field. Be it Rajasthan or any other team, I’ll go out and play my best cricket.”
Sanju Samson opens up on Rajasthan Royals exit and CSK move: new home
Far more exciting than facing his former teammates is the prospect of working with Mahendra Singh Dhoni. It’s a once-in-a-career opportunity.
“I’ve only had positive vibes with Dhoni before,” Samson shares. “We’ve crossed paths in the national team, but this is completely different. Spending almost two months with the same team, watching him from the inside, learning—it’s going to be something special.”
For any Indian player, coming under Dhoni’s wing is a chance not just to improve their skills, but to reboot their career. Samson, 31, is in his prime, and the support of a master like Dhoni could take his game to a whole new level.
Words about a new chapter are backed by action. Looking at his recent performances for the national team, it’s clear why Chennai spared no expense on this transfer. The recent T20 World Cup was a major success for Samson.
He scored 321 runs, carried the team through the toughest matches, and received player of the match awards in games against the West Indies and England. And his last three innings for India look like a manifesto of a mature master: 97 not out, 89 and another 89. He’s the kind of batsman who can single-handedly decide the outcome of a match.
Sanju Samson opens up on Rajasthan Royals exit and CSK move, and it’s not just a team change. It’s an opportunity to step out of the shadows, change roles, and perhaps become a leading contender for the captaincy in the future when Dhoni finally hangs up his gloves. For now, he intends to simply soak up everything going on around him and enjoy cricket.
