Sanju Samson’s move to Chennai Super Kings may look recent, but as Ruturaj Gaikwad revealed, the idea had been building for years. Speaking on the Super Kings Podcast, Gaikwad shared that the conversations around Samson joining CSK date back two to three years, well before leadership roles came into the picture.
“I remember a conversation we had two to three years back, we were in England. You know, he was asking about what is happening in CSK, how things are, and all that. And I said, I feel being a South boy, you should explore this opportunity, you should be here,” Gaikwad said.
A shared journey and mutual understanding
Gaikwad pointed out that his bond with Samson goes beyond cricket, shaped by similar journeys in and out of the Indian team. That understanding made their conversations more open and honest.
“I don’t know if I was the first one or not but we have been friends for a long time now and we have been in and out of the Indian team, we kind of had the same journey, same struggles. So that’s what I had expressed to him. The first thing I said to him when he asked will you be the next captain… I said I don’t know, I don’t really care about captaincy, I like playing here, I like the atmosphere.”
The clarity in Gaikwad’s own mindset seems to have shaped Samson’s expectations as well.
Samson’s clear stance on captaincy
What stood out most in Gaikwad’s account was Samson’s immediate response when the idea of CSK came up. The wicketkeeper-batter made it clear that leadership was not part of his thinking.
“He, in fact, immediately replied ‘I don’t want to come in a situation where I want to be the captain there, I want to play under you, it is your team, it is your franchise and I will be happy to be there just as a player, but whenever I get an opportunity, I would definitely love to come’.”
That statement sums up Samson’s approach as he joins CSK. He is not chasing titles or roles off the field. He is looking for a space where he can play freely and contribute without added pressure.
For CSK, that mindset fits perfectly into a setup built on clarity, stability and defined roles as they prepare for IPL 2026.
