March 12, 2025: Ahead of the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) season, Rajasthan Royals (RR) captain Sanju Samson opened up about his deep admiration for former India and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain MS Dhoni. Samson spoke candidly about how much he values the time spent with Dhoni and how their relationship has evolved over the years.
Dhoni, who is preparing for his 2025 IPL season with CSK, is looking to add his sixth IPL title to his illustrious career. This season, CSK, led by Ruturaj Gaikwad, will begin their campaign against their arch-rivals, Mumbai Indians (MI), at their home ground in Chepauk.
Samson shared his experience of always wanting to be around Dhoni, particularly when he was starting his cricket journey. “Like every young Indian cricketer, I always wanted to be around MS Dhoni. Every time we played against CSK, I wanted to sit and talk to him, ask him how he does things. It was a dream for me,” Samson recalled.
One particular moment that stood out for Samson was a match against CSK in Sharjah, where he scored around 70-80 runs, winning the game and earning the Man of the Match award. “After that, I met Mahi bhai, and since then, our relationship has grown. Even now, I meet him often. Just yesterday, I met him again. It’s truly a blessed feeling—to go from idolizing him to now sitting with him for shoots and events. I feel like I’m living my dream,” said the RR captain, who expressed how fulfilling it has been to go from being a fan to a peer and close friend of the legendary cricketer.
Dhoni, who will be playing in the 2025 IPL season for CSK, was retained as an uncapped player by the franchise for Rs 4 crore, following a new rule introduced in the previous IPL auction. The rule allows teams to retain uncapped players who haven’t played international cricket for five years. Dhoni has not played international cricket since his retirement in 2020, and has solely featured in the IPL since then.
In the 2024 season, Dhoni showcased his finishing skills by scoring 161 runs at a strike rate of 220 and an average of 53.66 in 11 innings, staying unbeaten in eight of them. He continues to play a key role for CSK, often being deployed as a finisher.
As of now, Dhoni is the sixth-highest run-scorer in IPL history, with 5,243 runs in 264 matches across 229 innings, averaging 39.12, with a strike rate of 137.53 and 24 half-centuries. His best score in the IPL is an unbeaten 84*. Dhoni, of course, is most famous for leading CSK to multiple titles, but he also played for the now-defunct Rising Pune Supergiant (RPS) in 2016 and 2017.
The IPL 2025 season is shaping up to be another exciting chapter in Dhoni’s legendary IPL career, with his presence continuing to inspire young cricketers like Sanju Samson.