Chennai Super Kings have been on the lookout for a wicketkeeper batsman for a long time, and they have reportedly decided on their future with Rajasthan Royals captain Sanju Samson, who was seen having a fun chat with Ruturaj Gaikwad during the Ranji Trophy match.
The IPL pre-season has already started, and every team is looking to finalize their set of players before the retention date. After which, teams will probably be looking for their chances among the players who will come to bid in the mini-auction.
However, CSK are determined and hoping for the availability of one player, that is Rajasthan Royals wicketkeeper-opener Sanju Samson. Samson has also shown excellent form for India in recent times.
CSK hints at signing Sanju Samson ahead of IPL 2026 auction
: JioHotstar pic.twitter.com/HOXR78i8eI
– Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) 17 October 2025
Maharashtra captain Ruturaj Gaikwad has been finalized as MS Dhoni’s successor in the IPL. He was considered the long-term captain of the team and was given the responsibility of carrying forward the legacy of MS Dhoni.
Recently, in the first round of Ranji Trophy, Ruturaj Gaikwad’s Maharashtra were seen taking on a Kerala team which also includes Sanju Samson. Gaikwad missed out on a brilliant century after his team made a comeback with the tail-enders.
Sanju Samson also scored a half-century and was the top scorer for Kerala in the first innings, although he failed to complete the trail by 20 runs. However, Samson and Gaikwad were seen smiling with each other in a carefree moment. This friendly conversation has intensified the discussion about the possibility of Samson going to CSK.
Chennai Super Kings eyeing Cameron Green for mini-auction
Chennai Super Kings finished last in IPL 2025. One of the main reasons for CSK’s failure was their poor middle-order batting. The captain, who scored some runs at the top, was soon ruled out due to injury, while players like Rachin Ravindra, Devon Conway, Rahul Tripathi and Shivam Dubey failed to perform well with the bat.
However, CSK made a comeback with the new players by controlling their batting. Ravindra Jadeja has batted diligently at times for CSK this season alongside youngsters like Ayush Mhatre and Dewald Brevis.
The Chennai team got a brilliant opener in Mhatre and then relied heavily on Brevis for the death overs. That’s why they have shown interest in all-rounder Cameron Green, after Sam Curran and Jamie Overton failed to make any impact last season.
Green is also a promising batsman in the death overs and could be promoted to the top order. The only hurdle, however, is Green’s recent injury problems.
MS Dhoni will play IPL 2026; Will Dhoni be used as an impact sub after the appointment of a new wicketkeeper?
While Sanju Samson has been targeted by Chennai Super Kings as the Indian wicketkeeper batsman, their experienced wicketkeeper, veteran MS Dhoni has further extended his stay with the CSK team.
In such circumstances, MS Dhoni can be used as an impact sub, a rule that allows IPL teams to call a batsman during the team’s batting innings after not being named in the playing XI at the start of the game. Considering Dhoni’s age, if CSK has a good wicketkeeper, he might not be on the field for long.
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