‘It's a big move,’ - Former Indian cricketer opines on Sanju Samson’s trade to CSK
A former Indian cricketer calls Sanju Samson’s trade to CSK a big move, discussing its impact on the franchise and what it means for the upcoming IPL season.
Sanju Samson. Image | RR
Last Updated: 05.37 PM, Nov 15, 2025
The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have made a huge trade deal with the Rajasthan Royals (RR), bringing in Sanju Samson at INR 18 crores. They have traded Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran to RR for the upcoming IPL 2026. The interesting move has got many former cricketers open up on the strategies of CSK and how things can take a turn for Ruturaj Gaikwad as the skipper of the team.
Speaking about the trade, former cricketer Anil Kumble called it a ‘big move’ and also stressed the impact it might have on Gaikwad in the future. Kumble believes that Samson has been traded to become the captain of CSK, as he is comparatively young and has a good amount of experience as well.
"It's a big move. It's a big move because Chennai Super Kings generally don't really trade their players who've been with them for a while, and I was a bit surprised that Jadeja moved to Rajasthan Royals. Obviously, Sanju Samson coming to CSK is a plus and a positive, because MS Dhoni, I'm not sure how long he can continue as a wicketkeeper-batter. I'm sure captaincy could be one option," said Kumble on Star Sports.
Should Sanju Samson become captain of CSK?
After MS Dhoni, Ruturaj Gaikwad became the captain of CSK before the IPL 2024. However, since then the team’s performance has been questionable and disappointing at the same time. The team combinations haven’t gone well, and the mega auction 2025 was a complete disaster. Moreover, the IPL 2025 was even more terrible for the franchise since they failed to win matches throughout the season, which is quite unlikely of CSK.
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This recent trade of Sanju Samson to CSK feels like the captaincy handover since he has good experience in that department. However, what the management and MS Dhoni have decided is not sure yet. Gaikwad’s recent performance in domestic games has been outstanding, and that might save him from losing his captaincy to Samson. However, if CSK fail to perform well this season, Gaikwad’s captaincy will come under scrutiny.
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