Chennai Super Kings is probably one of the best franchises in world cricket, and they receive immense love and madness from their fans, who flock to support their team. Sanju Samson’s arrival at CSK right around the possible retirement of MS Dhoni has put him in position to be the immediate successor to the great Indian wicketkeeper.
The CSK CEO and management team have been voicing the fact that they have not considered promoting Ruturaj Gaikwad as the captain of the franchise. The CSK franchise has always supported its players in every role. However, Samson has already been given a second-tier role to MS Dhoni by the fans in yellow.
Sanju Samson is currently one of the most highly rated cricketers in India who has a huge fan following. This was further enhanced after Samson’s stellar performances in India’s historic consecutive T20 World Cup wins. After making his ICC debut in the same World Cup, Samson was the player of the match at the 2026 T20 WC.
“Sanju is right after Rohit and Virat”: Manoj Tiwari’s big statement on CSK cricketer
Talking about the importance of Sanju Samson and his immense contribution to Indian and franchise cricket, former Indian batsman Manoj Tiwary claimed that he is the third most iconic Indian cricketer after Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.
Manoj Tiwari on Cricbuzz said, “He is a player who has the third largest fanbase among all the star players currently playing for India. When it comes to fan following, Sanju Samson is next only to Rohit and Virat. It is incredible to see such a fan following even when he is not performing, as we have seen for Samson.”
Tiwari, in these circumstances, having a player like Sanju Samson also worked as a plus point for CSK. He suggested several ways in which the former Royals batsman could benefit the yellow team.
He added, “However, it is great for Samson that he got a chance to play for a franchise like Chennai Super Kings. Firstly, he will be used as an opening batsman, as this has been a matter of concern for the Super Kings in the last two seasons, and secondly, he will also be a wicket-keeping option to replace Dhoni when the old legend sometimes struggles with his knee.”
“Sanju is the future brand of CSK after MS Dhoni’s retirement” -Manoj Tiwari
Sanju has been declared the next generation brand for CSK, who will carry forward the legacy of Indian legend MS Dhoni. Dhoni, who will turn 45 after the end of this IPL season, will likely make his final appearance in this season.
The Super Kings, who have the biggest fan base, are often said to be widely loved because of their former captain MS Dhoni. So the franchise will need someone whom the audience would love to see in yellow and Samson is exactly that cricketer.
Tiwary claimed, “Chennai always needs a brand-value player in the team. So, when MS Dhoni is no longer playing for them, they will need a brand player who will attract the crowd and keep them engaged in the game. And I think Sanju is one such player; he is a good person and the way he keeps himself simple, he can connect well with the audience.”
Manoj Tiwari suggests a ‘book’ containing the success story of Sanju Samson
MS Dhoni’s former teammate shed light on Sanju Samson’s struggles as a cricketer and his inspirational journey despite being ignored, humiliated, banned, dropped and benched by the Indian team on multiple occasions. He also claimed that a book could be written on his inspiring journey.
Tiwary said, “Every player often goes through such phases in his life and career. Last time, what we saw in the Royals camp was that Sanju was left out during the discussion before the super-over. At that time, assumptions were made about his departure from the franchise.”
“After that, after the World Cup, the story should be recorded in a book, especially to reflect his strong mentality in that unfortunate time. Wrong happened to him, and despite that, he came back and played those three brilliant innings in the knockout matches of the World Cup.
Manoj Tiwari boldly concluded, “With Sanju Samson being portrayed as the next generation brand of the franchise, MS Dhoni’s absence will be felt somewhat less.”
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