‘Sanju Samson right replacement for MS Dhoni in CSK, he's quite popular in Chennai', says Kris Srikkanth
Srikkanth, however, ceded that the Rajasthan Royals must find a way to retain Samson after having started a fresh Mega Auction cycle earlier this year with the team built around the Kerala star. Samson and Jaiswal were Rajasthan's top retentions ahead of the auctions held in 2024, at Rs 18 crore.
'Going by the reports, there seems to be a rift between him and Rahul Dravid, but I am not fully aware,' Srikkanth said on his YouTube channel. 'Look at it from a franchise point of view. They have paid him a certain amount and retained him. They have formed the team around him. All of a sudden, if you release him, what happens to the team balance? They haven't won the IPL since 2008.
'They have reached the final after that (in 2022). I don't think I would let go of Sanju Samson. If they want to promote Riyan Parag as captain, that is their choice. I would still play Samson as a batter. He's been paid INR 18 crore,' Srikkanth added.
Srikkanth referred to Samson's huge popularity in Chennai and his speciality as a keeper-batter-cum leader that makes him an able fit for the 44-year-old Dhoni who is in the final laps of his IPL playing career.
'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. 'He's the right replacement for MS Dhoni. Dhoni can play this season, maybe not the year after and then you can have a smooth transition. But I feel if Ruturaj Gaikwad has been given the captaincy, he should be continued with,' he added.
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