"Leaving Rajasthan Royals Huge Risk": Sanju Samson Ends Long Silence On CSK Move
Samson revealed that he was sure in his mind that 2025 was going to be his last season with RR and he wanted to "start from zero" by adjusting to a spin-friendly Chepauk wicket.
Indian wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson spoke on leaving Rajasthan Royals (RR) ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, calling it a "huge risk". He also revealed the reason behind leaving the Men in Pink and how the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) set-up showed faith in him despite a shaky start to the IPL 2026 season with some low scores. Samson, India's 'Player of the Tournament' in their ICC T20 World Cup triumph this year with 321 runs and three successive fifties from a virtual quarterfinal against West Indies to the final against New Zealand, headed into the latest IPL season with CSK with a lot of expectations, in the form of his life with the bat. After having spent 11 seasons with the Royals, Samson was traded to CSK for Rs 18 crores, with RR getting the services of all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran in return in one of the biggest pre-auction trades of all time. But for Samson, the season started with three single-digit scores before he registered an unbeaten 115* against Delhi Capitals.
Speaking to JioStar's 'Superstars', Samson revealed that he was sure in his mind that 2025 was going to be his last season with RR and he wanted to "start from zero" by adjusting to a spin-friendly Chepauk wicket.
"Leaving Rajasthan Royals was a huge risk. Once you convey your feelings to the franchise, there is no going back. You could end up in a team you do not want to go to or even in the auction with no certainty. There were two reasons behind this decision. First, I was sure that 2025 would be my last season with RR. I had long conversations with my family and my wife. They kept asking me if it was an impulsive decision or if I was really sure. We discussed it for two or three weeks, and then we decided it was time. I was convinced it was the right call.
Second, I am a confident person. I believe I can stand on my own. I am always ready to start from zero. Many people told me that my batting style might not suit the slow Chepauk wicket. Those thoughts did cross my mind. But then I told myself, 'You are 30 years old. Go out and find a way.' This IPL season, I went in with a lot of energy, thinking I had to achieve something. I discovered a new energy there, and it was working very well for me," he added.
Samson's stint with CSK started with three low scores. But Samson took it positively, noting that in T20 cricket, "failure is common and one fails more than they succeed".
"So, when you are going through a rough patch, you need people around you who understand that failure is part of the game. When I joined CSK, I failed in my first three games. We lost all three, and I did not score runs. I had just come off playing in the World Cup final, but I was not able to carry that form into the IPL. In that situation, no matter how experienced you are, you know that the coach expects more, the captain expects more, and Mahi bhai (MS Dhoni) is watching you," he said.
Samson said that all he did was go back to the nets, work on his game and stay in his zone, and he felt "more mature" and clear in terms of what he had to do this time around.
"But what really stood out was that the response from the team management and my teammates did not change even one per cent. When I failed three matches in a row, their faith in me never wavered. That meant a lot to me," he added.
Samson also revealed that he got to meet MS Dhoni after the first three matches and the legendary wicketkeeper batter and captain told him that "everything will be alright". Hearing these words from Dhoni was a "huge lesson" for Samson as he did not need to do something extra, feel stressed or change something about his style.
"I still remember, Mahi bhai met me after the first three matches when we went for practice. I usually sit right behind him, facing him. So, we sat down, and he looked at me and asked if I was fine. I said, 'Bhaiya, I am fine.' Then I kept saying 'but' and 'yes' without even realising it. Then he told me, 'Do not get into but just focus on doing what you do best. Everything will be alright.' It was very subtle, but a huge lesson for me. He was telling me that everything is okay. Just because I was failing did not mean I had to change my batting style, look like I was stressed, or practice for three extra hours. At that moment, I felt I really had to perform for them. Then I told Stephen Fleming, 'Do not worry, we will be fine in the next game.' And in the next game, I scored a hundred against Delhi Capitals. From there, the momentum came back," he signed off.
Samson ended the tournament with 477 runs in 14 innings at an average of 43.36 and a strike rate of 165.63, with two centuries and a fifty. CSK ended at the eighth spot in the points table, with six wins and eight losses in 14 matches, giving them 12 points.
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Chennai Super Kings
Sanju Samson