‘RR was ready without me’: Sanju Samson reveals why he left Rajasthan Royals

Sanju Samson of RR (PTI Photo) India batsman Sanju Samson has spoken about the emotional decision to leave Rajasthan Royals after more than a decade with the franchise, admitting that it was one of the toughest choices of his career. However, the opportunity to join Chennai Super Kings, where he already shared a strong relationship with MS Dhoni and Ruturaj Gaikwad, convinced him that it was the right move. After captaining Rajasthan Royals for five seasons, Samson joined CSK via a swap ahead of IPL 2026. Reflecting on the move, he said there was a point where he felt both he and the franchise were ready to go in different directions. “Moving from RR was a very big decision for me. I believe after playing for a team for some time, you start feeling that this is your team and no one can remove you. But I always realized that there is a limited time for everyone at one place,” Samson told JioStar’s ‘Superstars’. “You do your part and you move out and after the end of IPL 2025, there came a point where I felt I should move on. I told myself that the boys are ready and RR is ready to play without Sanju Samson. That’s when I thought of leaving,” he added. Although several teams were interested, Samson said CSK stood out because of the environment, the people around the franchise and Dhoni’s influence. “There were two or three options at the time. But honestly, CSK, Mahi bhai’s influence, the franchise itself and my friends there, especially Ruturaj, meant I had great contacts. Based on what I heard about CSK from other players, I felt this franchise was my type.” “If I go there, it will be very good for me. I wanted to, but a trade is a tricky thing. I want to go there, but do they want me? And the original team needs to get what they want in return. Everyone has to agree. It was a major turning point. Fortunately, I ended up at CSK. It was a great feeling,” he said. Samson also looked back on his childhood admiration for Dhoni and revealed that the former Indian captain inspired him to dream of representing the country one day. “The way he carried himself and his aggressive style of batting really attracted me. He was featured in advertisements and I cut out his picture and pasted it in my diary. Every kid has an idol and Mahi bhai was mine.” “As a kid I used to watch India play every day. Mahi bhai was the captain and won matches. I went to bed thinking that one day I have to play too.” I used to dream of batting with him, building a partnership and playing alongside him.” Now, CSK player Samson said he still hopes to fulfill that dream by sharing the crease with Dhoni, who has missed the entire IPL 2026 season due to a calf injury. The 31-year-old also recalled how his IPL career began in 2013 with Rajasthan Royals. Frustrated after spending the opening matches on the bench, he approached then-captain Rahul Dravid, who urged him to remain patient. “He calmly explained to me that I had to be patient and that my time would come. After hearing that, I was frustrated and disappointed, so I took all my anger out at the nets. I would go to the nets and hit sixes and think, ‘I’m going to show them’.” His opportunity came only after goalkeeper Dishant Yagnik was injured. “We didn’t plan to play me but Dishant bhai got injured for one match. So they played me against Punjab (then KXIP) which was my IPL debut in 2013 and I won that match for the team. “It was my first match. I scored 27 not out at No. 6. I also got three to four dismissals while keeping wickets. But in the next match, Dhant bhai was fit again and I got out.”