logo
Star India World Cup champion backs Sanju Samson as MS Dhoni's successor at CSK

Star India World Cup champion backs Sanju Samson as MS Dhoni's successor at CSK

India.com3 days ago
MS Dhoni and Sanju Samson
Chennai Super Kings haven't yet discovered the ideal MS Dhoni replacement. CSK won the Indian Premier League (IPL) a record five times while Dhoni was captain. Before the 2022 Indian Premier League, the team even tried to pass the leadership to Ravindra Jadeja.
However, because of his poor performance, Dhoni was named captain again halfway through the season. In 2023, he remained the team's leader until Ruturaj Gaikwad was appointed as his replacement. But Gaikwad had to miss the season due to an injury, so Dhoni took over as captain once more.
Krishnamachari Srikkanth backs Sanju Samson as Dhoni's replacement
Former India batsman Krishnamachari Srikkanth has chosen Sanju Samson as the 'right replacement' for MS Dhoni after social media reports of the player's departure from the Rajasthan Royals surfaced.
'To tell you the truth, Sanju is a brilliant player and he's very popular in Chennai. He's got a good brand image in Chennai. As I said, I'll be the first one to pick him for Chennai if he is willing to leave and comes this side,' said Srikkanth in a video on his YouTube channel Cheeky Cheeka.
'He's the right replacement for MS Dhoni. Dhoni can maximum play this season, maybe not the year after and then you can have a smooth transition,' he added.
Even if the side ropes in the Rajasthan Royals star, Srikkanth believes that Gaikwad should still be the team's captain.
'But I feel if Ruturaj Gaikwad has been given the captaincy, he should be continued with,' he said.
MS Dhoni-led CSK is the most successful IPL franchise
As the sixth-highest run scorer in IPL history, Dhoni has an impressive international career in addition to being a respected player in franchise cricket. Dhoni has scored 5439 runs at an average of 38.30 and strike rate of over 137 in 278 games, including 24 fifties. He has won two Champions League T20 titles with CSK in addition to five IPL titles, making the team one of the most successful team in the sports world, primarily due to his own name and brand.
When the legendary batsman even steps into his dressing room to prepare for a potential batting opportunity, crowds follow and various fan clubs chant 'Dhoni' in unison.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Could Jitesh, Jurel's finishing finesse better India's T20 template?
Could Jitesh, Jurel's finishing finesse better India's T20 template?

Hindustan Times

timean hour ago

  • Hindustan Times

Could Jitesh, Jurel's finishing finesse better India's T20 template?

Mumbai: For the longest time, India's wicket-keeper batter used to be the first name listed on the team sheet. He would know the pulse of the changing game, play with minds of the opposition, take his team home more often than not, execute razor-sharp stumpings and if all of this wasn't enough, captain the side to make himself undroppable. After MS Dhoni left, India has struggled for a wicket-keeper batter who can hold his own in the T20 format. Royal Challengers Bengaluru's Jitesh Sharma. (AFP) In the past three T20 World Cups, formulaic picks have delivered sub-par returns. Rishabh Pant has been a constant, but is yet to ace the format. His great ability to second-guess the bowlers in the Test format seems to desert him in T20 cricket, where he is often chained by teams bowling to him on one side of the wicket. The temptation to give the free-spirited left-hander another chance to break free is always there in a big event. But it's been 76 T20Is now. In any case, he won't come into consideration for the Asia Cup, currently recovering from the foot injury from the England tour. The other team regular has been KL Rahul. Sometimes donning the gloves, or in the squad because he can also keep. Best suited to bat at the top of the order, Rahul was there in UAE 2021 and Australia 2022 but his batting tempo like the rest of India's campaign in those tournaments was outdated. In IPL, Rahul regularly delivers 500 plus runs in a season, a useful tick across the box in a long T20 competition. But taking time to get off the blocks and batting too long is a playing style India wanted to abandon which saw Rahul lose his place in the 2024 World Cup. Now, the top order is brimming with options. Among the contenders is Sanju Samson. Forced to stay on the bench throughout the last World Cup, the power packed batter has been in his elements after being shuffled up the order. 'You'll be removed from the team only after 21 ducks,' Gautam Gambhir told Samson when he took time to find his bearings. It's the kind of hyperbole the Indian head coach frequently uses. For Samson, who's waited forever to become an India regular, he needed just those words of reassurance. 522 of the right hander's 861 career runs have come as an opener and his Strike Rate has shot up to 178, while it was meandering in the 120s earlier. Samson is expected to keep his place in the Asia Cup squad despite recurring dismissals against the short ball in the previous England series. But the competition at the top will remain intense and the selectors would prefer to pick someone who can bat down the order as the other wicket-keeper. It's one area where resources are still scarce. Hardik Pandya is by far India's best finisher. But given his higher ceiling, they would want to utilize him at No.5 more frequently by identifying more finishers. Rinku Singh won't be dumped in a hurry, but he is not a finished article yet. The strongest contender from this year's IPL is Jitesh Sharma. The wicket-keeper batter from Vidarbha always possessed the power to clear the ropes. Playing the finishing role for RCB, Jitesh was able to show his impudence with ramps and scoops, a recent addition to his power hitting. His only serious competition for that slot comes from Dhruv Jurel. The Rajasthan Royals wicket-keeper batter first made a mark playing cameos down the order in the IPL. Subsequently, he was promoted by the franchise to No.5 this year - he had a mixed season - and in the limited opportunities he has got in the national set up, is known to have impressed Gambhir and the selectors. Having passed the eye test, Jurel will remain in contention even though he may be the understudy across formats for now. 'With someone like Dhruv, you have to be careful. We only look at Orange Cap and we say they are the ones who have performed. In every single match, Dhruv has come out in, he's been chasing 13-14 runs per over — that is not easy. The performance metrics for someone who is batting at No. 5 (and below) have to be very different,' RR head coach Rahul Dravid had recently come to Jurel's defence. When the selectors sit to pick a lower-order finisher who can keep wickets, they would have internalized Dravid's words of wisdom.

"Entire World Thought I Was Mad": IPL Team Owner Recalls Paying Rs 7090 Crore For This Side
"Entire World Thought I Was Mad": IPL Team Owner Recalls Paying Rs 7090 Crore For This Side

NDTV

timean hour ago

  • NDTV

"Entire World Thought I Was Mad": IPL Team Owner Recalls Paying Rs 7090 Crore For This Side

The Indian Premier League extended the number of teams in the tournament from eight to ten ahead of the 2022 season. The bidding process for the two new teams took place in October 2021. CVC, a global private equity fund, bought one franchise for Rs 5625 crore, while the second one was bought was RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group for a mammoth sum of Rs 7090 crore at the bidding war. The massive amount paid by the RPSG Group to acquire a team stunned the cricket fraternity. Around four years after the buy, team's owner Sanjiv Goenka has opened up on the bold move. Notably, the RPSG Group also has its stake in The Hundred franchise Manchester Originals. Goenka's statement came when he informed that Manchester Originals will include the 'Super Giants' into their name for future seasons of the tournament. "When I invested 900m dollar to buy an IPL team, the entire world thought I was mad," Goenka told BBC Sport. "In the space of three and a half years, (it) is probably worth 1.5 billion dollar. The IPL is a league like no other but The only grow and we do believe that it will grow hugely. "It's about building an emotional connection with not only the sport, but the format and more importantly the team. It doesn't happen overnight. The IPL has taken 18 years to reach where it is." After buying the franchise for a whopping sum at the IPL auction, the RPSG Group later named the Lucknow franchise as Lucknow Super Giants. It turned out to be a superb first two seasons for LSG in IPL as the side made it to the playoffs on both the occasions. However, a dip in performance was observed in the next two seasons. LSG finished at the 7th spot in IPL 2024 and 2025, with their worst performance being this year as they ended up with 12 points, the lowest ever in their four-season old career.

MS Dhoni politely declines fan's photo request at Mumbai airport, says 'Abhi mujhe jana do'
MS Dhoni politely declines fan's photo request at Mumbai airport, says 'Abhi mujhe jana do'

Pink Villa

timean hour ago

  • Pink Villa

MS Dhoni politely declines fan's photo request at Mumbai airport, says 'Abhi mujhe jana do'

Mahendra Singh Dhoni remains a beloved and influential figure across India and the cricketing world. Fondly known as Captain Cool, Dhoni is celebrated for his finishing abilities, strategic mind, and remarkable composure under pressure. Despite his immense success and global fame, the former captain has always maintained a grounded and humble attitude. Dhoni's recent outing is just another example of his calm and composed demeanor. MS Dhoni spotted at Mumbai airport MS Dhoni was recently spotted outside the Mumbai airport. He was dressed casually in an all-black outfit, with several onlookers gazing at him at the airport. He matched his black shoes with clothes. Dhoni sported a luxurious wristwatch and a fitness band on his hands. He carried a black backpack. The 44-year-old cricketer had his smile hidden behind a face mask. The Captain Cool was also holding a passport in his hand. MS Dhoni politely refuses a fan asking for a selfie An excited fan asked for a selfie as MS Dhoni walked close to him at the Mumbai airport. However, Dhoni politely declined the request of the fan by saying, 'Abhi nahin yaar, abhi mujhe jaane do (Not now, please let me go).' Fans are in awe of Dhoni for his polite gesture towards the fan. Will MS Dhoni play in the IPL 2026? MS Dhoni is yet to announce if he will be a part of the upcoming Indian Premier League, which will be held in 2026. In a recent event, Dhoni neither confirmed nor denied playing in the IPL while noting that he has time until December. The cricketer, who led CSK in the IPL 2025 as a captain, shared that he will take a couple of months to decide. Meanwhile, Dhoni recently confirmed that Ruturaj Gaikwad is the new captain of CSK in the IPL 2026. MS Dhoni's captaincy of the Indian cricket team spanned over a decade, making him one of the longest-serving and most successful captains in the history of Indian cricket. Dhoni made his debut in the ODI match between India and Bangladesh in 2004. India won the 2007 ICC World Twenty20, the 2011 Cricket World Cup, and the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy during his captaincy. After his retirement from international cricket, MS Dhoni continues to play for his IPL team, Chennai Super Kings.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store