It is similar to the way MS Dhoni made a grand arrival in Chennai as CSK captain all those years ago after leading India to the 2007 T20 World Cup title. That time too, the franchise bosses hadn’t missed a chance to cash in on Dhoni’s growing popularity. It was a move that shaped the history of CSK and IPL.Now, as the sun is about to set on Dhoni’s long career, there’s a new hero emerging. No, Sanju isn’t the new CSK skipper. He doesn’t even have the responsibility of establishing the franchise as a brand. But there’s another challenge for the Rajinikath fan from Kerala — to reestablish the supremacy of CSK as a powerhouse in the IPL.The last couple of years have been wretched for the five-time champions. They’ve been unable to make the lastfour stage of the tournament. Though the fans still troop to Chepauk on match day just to catch a glimpse of Dhoni hitting a couple of sixes or showing his skill with the gloves, there’s been a growing sense of frustration about the team’s performance.

The move to draft Sanju in was, in fact, a little bit of a desperate move to get CSK’s house in order. They had flirted with a couple of other established Indian names as Dhoni’s longterm wicketkeeper batter replacement in the past years, but those moves hadn’t exactly materialised. Once it was clear after last season that Sanju wanted to leave RR, CSK didn’t want to miss the chance.The Super Kings have been missing the firepower at the top of the order and Samson does solve a few riddles. As per indications, Sanju will open the batting with Ayush Mhatre while skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad will come in at No. 3. The right-hander, whose best year in IPL for Rajasthan Royals was in 2024 when he scored 531 runs at a strike-rate of 153.46, will look to recreate similar magic in his first year for his new franchise.What may just work for Sanju in Chennai is the fact that he will be coming to this IPL as a man free of any burden. For years, he has been trying to prove himself as an international cricketer. In the past, it has always been at the back of his mind that a poor IPL might curtail his India dreams.After the recent heroics in the T20 World Cup, though, those fears would have eased. Sanju has nothing left to prove to cement his India place. Given the nature of his free-flowing batting style, that easing of pressure can give him the freedom to express himself and give CSK those rollicking starts day in and day out.While that’s one part of the deal, the 31-year-old has to take care of the wicketkeeping responsibilities as well. It’s almost an open secret that this will be Dhoni’s last year. CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan has indicated that the legend may not be playing all the games.In all probability, Sanju will keep wickets in most of the games, unless of course the team needs Dhoni’s onfield tactical acumen to wriggle out of a tough corner. Sanju, on his part, has already spoken to Dhoni about how to go about the job.“I’ve spoken to Mahi bhai over the phone and interacted with him. Playing with him as part of a team will be great. I see it as an opportunity to learn from him,” Samson told reporters after the World Cup triumph. “Whenever he calls or we meet, there is always something positive to take away. But being with him in a team for two months and seeing first-hand how he approaches cricket and prepares for games will be a huge benefit for me,” Sanju added.Taking over from Dhoni the icon, especially in Chennai, entails going beyond the cricket field. The 42-yearold, over the last two decades, has become a cultural beacon, ‘Thala’ to his legions of fans . To Sanju’s advantage, he already has a strong fan base in the city, courtesy a big Malayali population in Chennai.Many of them used to be Rajasthan Royals fans but have started shifting allegiance now. The fact that Sanju speaks the local language and has been coming to the city since he was kid will help him grow an immediate connection with the Tamil population. But then, to win them over and create an aura that comes close to Dhoni’s will need one crucial component — performance.After the World Cup, there’s a growing belief in Chennai that the mild-mannered cricketer will deliver as expected. The ball is well and truly in Sanju’s court.

“Dhoni. Has to be… I think just in terms of his captaincy, his aura,” Billings said. “He’s fantastic. In terms of just so incredibly calm. And he’s genuinely cool. You don’t meet many cool people nowadays, really. What a lovely guy, considering how much stardom he has and how much of a superstar. Obviously, a Man United fan, like myself.”He added, “And so we’d watch every Man United game. He can’t leave the hotel, can’t go downstairs to the hotel bar, and he’d get a load of the lads. His room is open, and he has a little ‘Shisha man’ who looks after the Shisha. His sole job is to look after the Shisha.”

‘That’s why I don’t see a role for MS Dhoni’: AB de Villiers

“I feel that in the last few years, his role has purely been about keeping that brand as strong as possible. That’s why I don’t see a role for him batting at eight or nine and not really doing enough, like last season,” De Villiers said, as quoted by news agency PTI.“We know he can be impactful with the bat, but if he’s batting that low and not captaining, it feels like he’s almost just making up for a spot for the wrong reasons. There’s still a place for him, but he needs to bat higher, at least at six, maybe even at five or four at times.”“I do feel Ruturaj and Sanju are the perfect players to take over from MS (Dhoni). My only issue is where MS fits in and if he’s not going to have that big impact batting at 4, 5, 6 sometimes, then rather be out of the squad,” De Villiers said, adding, “Let someone else, that can maybe bowl and bat and have a bigger impact in the game,to come in there and then MS can almost sit on the side as a mentor and still guide the guys.”