Sanju Samson could fill many holes for Chennai Super Kings with a blockbuster deal, but the Kerala star cannot expect the captaincy straight away, felt his former Rajasthan Royals teammate R Ashwin.
Ashwin, who retired from the IPL after his last stint with CSK in August this year, also said that CSK’s decision to potentially trade spin legend Ravindra Jadeja is a big call by the franchise.
“I don’t think Sanju will get the captaincy at CSK because it will be his first year and I’m not sure they will give him the captaincy right away. But he will definitely be an option for captaincy in the future if the deal goes through,” Ashwin said on Ash ki Baat.
Ashwin added that Samson’s inclusion will bridge the gap in the top order for CSK. Since MS Dhoni relinquished the captaincy role, CSK has handed over the reins to Ruturaj Gaikwad. However, when Gaikwad was out due to injury early in the IPL 2025 season, Dhoni reprized his role as the five-time champions’ talisman. With CSK following the Samson trade with keen interest, it has been confirmed that the upcoming edition will be the last for the 44-year-old Dhoni in the professional playing field.
“CSK also benefits from closing that gap in the top order. Ayush and Sanju can open, Ruturaj can come in at three, which is what he wanted to do. That gives them balance. But the loss will be where will they get another spinner from? Who will be that spinner that they will depend on to bowl the ball in the middle over? Who is that marquee player for them? Finishing is the issue,” he added.
“One thing on the minds of fans is Jadeja’s affinity with CSK. Jadeja is not a young player for CSK. There are some sentiments attached to Jadeja and CSK. Trading is not something they have done in the past. This could also be a good opportunity for Jadeja. RR is a team built on a lot of youth and a lot of relationships. It is a big decision for CSK to leave Jadeja out,” he said.
Samson is a better fit in the capital
However, Ashwin noted that Samson could benefit from a move to Delhi Capitals, his former franchise, with better wickets in play at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.
Story continues below this ad
“Everyone knows that Sanju Samson wants to leave Rajasthan. Other franchises will be interested in his skill and talent and also it weakens the other side. In my view, Tristan Stubbs and Samir Rizvi for Samson in Delhi were on the verge of completion but it didn’t happen. It made sense for Delhi and the wicket was good to bat there so it was better for Samson. If you score more in the IPL then you are in the limelight. This trade made more sense for Samson,” he added. For RR, they also had problems finishing the race.”
(Tags for translation) Sanju Samson
