MS Dhoni has been ruled out of IPL 2026 for two weeks after suffering from a calf strain.
All eyes will be on CSK’s recruit Sanju Samson, who will be playing against his former franchise, RR, for the first time. Samson was traded in by CSK from RR before the IPL 2026 auction. Samson's recruitment for the CSK franchise is not just an attempt to fix a current crisis but also to prepare for the future as MS Dhoni's probable long-term replacement.
Ahead of the encounter against the Royals, CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan provided an update on Dhoni's absence for the game, confirming Samson will keep wickets.
"See, obviously, Sanju will be keeping because MS Dhoni is not going to play. Sanju's form is great, and he's been knocking well in the nets also. So, we're hoping that he'll give the impact that CSK is looking for during the current season. Of course, we have Ruturaj, who is also capable of taking the team to higher levels, and his captaincy is one that definitely will lift the team," Viswanathan said in an exclusive interview with RevSportz.
Viswanathan also provided a peek into the future, expressing optimism that the Kerala wicketkeeper will be a terrific bet for the franchise.
"As far as Sanju is concerned, we don't want to put any pressure on him because we know his capabilities. I have not spent much time talking to Sanju, as I met him only a couple of days back, and during practice, I would never go and disturb him. I'm very confident that Sanju, with his abilities and his form, will be a great bet for us," he added.
Sanju Samson has a terrific record with 4704 runs in 177 IPL matches, including 3 centuries and 26 fifties. His strike rate is 139.04, and he averages 30.94 with the bat, with the highest score of 119.