‘RR is ready without me’: Sanju Samson reveals reasons for his departure from Rajasthan Royals | Cricket News
indian wicketkeeper batsman Sanzhou Samson talked about the emotional decision to leave. rajasthan royals More than a decade after joining the team, he admits it was one of the toughest choices of his career. However, there is an opportunity to join chennai super kingswhere he has interacted with MS Dhoni and Ruturaj Gaikwadconvincing him that this was the right move. After five seasons as captain of Rajasthan Royals, Samson joined CSK via a deal ahead of IPL 2026. Looking back on the move, he said there came a point where he felt he and the team were ready to go in a different direction. “Leaving RR was a very big decision for me. I believe that after playing in a team for a while, you start to feel that this is your team and no one can sack you. However, I always realized that everyone’s time at one place is limited,” Samson told JioStar’s ‘Superstar’. “You do your part and move out and after IPL 2025, I felt I should move on. I told myself that the kids are ready and RR is ready to play without Sanju Samson. That’s when I thought of leaving,” he added. Although there were several teams interested, Samson said CSK stood out because of the environment, the people around the team and Dhoni’s influence. “There were two or three options. But to be honest, CSK, the influence of Mahi bhai, the team itself and my friends there, especially Ruturaj, meant I had good connections. Based on what I heard about CSK from other players, I felt this team was my type. “It would be very good for me if I go there. I had hoped so, but trades are a tricky thing. I wanted to go there, but do they want me? The original team needs to get what they want in return. Everyone has to agree. That was a big turning point. Fortunately, I ended up at CSK. It’s a great feeling,” he said. Samson also recalled his childhood admiration for Dhoni, revealing that the former India captain inspired him to dream of representing the national team one day. “His demeanor and aggressive batting style really attracted me. He used to appear in advertisements and I would cut out his pictures and paste them in my diaries. Every child has an idol and Mahi bhai was mine. “As a kid, I would watch India play every day. Mahi bhai would captain and win the matches. I would go to sleep thinking, ‘One day I will have to play too.'” I used to dream of batting with him, building a partnership and playing alongside him. “ Samson, who is now a CSK player, said he still hopes to realize that dream with Dhoni, who missed the entire IPL 2026 season due to a calf injury. The 31-year-old also recalled his IPL career which started in 2013 with Rajasthan Royals. After being on the bench for the first game, he became frustrated and then approached his captain Rahul Dravidhe urged him to be patient. “He calmly explained that I needed to be patient and that my time would come. I felt frustrated and disappointed after hearing this, so I vented all my anger online. I would go to the net and hit sixes, thinking, ‘I’ll show them.’ ‘” His chance didn’t come until goalkeeper Descente Yagnik was injured. “There was no plan to field me but Dishant bhai got injured in a match. So, they played me against Punjab (then KXIP) and that was my IPL debut in 2013 and I won that game for the team. “This was my first game. I scored 27 runs while batting at No. 6. I was also dismissed three or four times while keeping wickets. But in the next game, Dishant bhai was fit again and I was dismissed.”
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