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

Former India cricketer Krishnamachari Srikkanth backs Sanju Samosn as MS Dhoni's replacement at Chennai Super Kings following his news of parting ways with Rajasthan Royals.

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.