Former Indian cricketer and now well-known cricket analyst Aakash Chopra has suggested that Sanju Samson from the Rajasthan Royals would be the perfect choice to carry forward MS Dhoni’s legacy at the Chennai Super Kings.
Aakash Chopra Backs Sanju Samson as Dhoni’s Ideal Successor
According to Chopra, a young player like Urvil Patel, who was brought into the CSK playing XI quite late, might not be the right fit to fill Dhoni’s shoes. He mentioned that CSK is reportedly interested in bringing Samson into their squad from the Royals.
However, there haven’t been any official reports suggesting that CSK has spoken to the Rajasthan Royals management about a possible trade for Sanju Samson.
Still, it’s quite clear that CSK is on the lookout for a strong wicketkeeper-batsman to step into MS Dhoni’s role. Players like Sanju Samson, Dhruv Jurel, or even Rishabh Pant seem to be on their radar as potential options.
“Sanju Samson to CSK, is that actually a possibility? Will that happen? Reports have come, but you will eagerly wait to hear what RR says.”
“A CSK official has said that they are interested and keen and that it would be great if they get him because he is a keeper-batter, and they have to look beyond MS Dhoni. So he could be a very good option,” claimed Aakash Chopra through his YouTube channel.
“In my original choices, I had thought about Dhruv Jurel as well. I had thought about Rishabh Pant too. This team needs a wicketkeeper-batter, and that wicketkeeper-batter is not Urvil Patel.”
Why CSK Needs a Strong Wicketkeeper-Batsman
“You need a keeper with a little more pedigree and experience, and a slightly bigger name, because if you have to carry MS Dhoni’s legacy forward, you need that kind of a player,” Aakash Chopra said.
In the same video where Aakash Chopra spoke about the possible trade involving Sanju Samson, he also shared his thoughts on who Rajasthan Royals might ask for in return. He suggested that if the trade does happen, RR could be interested in experienced CSK players like Ravichandran Ashwin or Ravindra Jadeja as part of the deal.
“Will this trade happen? CSK have said that they are interested, but they haven’t reached the stage in the conversation where they can say who they can trade. Rajasthan may want either Ashwin or Jadeja. It is well within their rights to ask if that trade is ever going to happen,” said Aakash Chopra.
Sanju Samson’s Impressive IPL Journey So Far
Sanju Samson has been a standout performer in the IPL, scoring 4,704 runs in 177 matches, including three centuries. He started his IPL journey with the Rajasthan Royals in 2013 and played until 2015, scoring 206, 339, and 204 runs in those seasons. He returned to the Royals in 2018 and continued to impress with consistent performances – 441 runs in 2018, followed by 342, 375, 484, 458, and 362 in the next few years. His best season came in 2024 when he scored 531 runs. In 2025, due to injuries, he played only 9 matches.
There have been reports linking Samson to CSK as a possible replacement for MS Dhoni behind the stumps, though nothing is confirmed yet. Meanwhile, CSK brought in young Urvil Patel for ₹30 lakh as a replacement for the injured Vansh Bedi. Known for his aggressive batting, Urvil played three matches and scored 68 runs at an impressive strike rate of 212.50. However, with Dhoni in the team, he didn’t get a chance to keep wickets.
If CSK does bring in Samson, it’s likely Urvil won’t get much of a chance to prove himself in the role.
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