Sanju Samson is having a gala time at his new IPL franchise, Chennai Super Kings (CSK), in the IPL 2026. He has hammered two centuries in the ongoing season and has 402 runs in 10 games so far as CSK stays alive in the race for the playoffs.

More so, Samson is getting to spend time with his hero and mentor, MS Dhoni, in the CSK camp. Dhoni has not played a single game for CSK in IPL 2026, but he has attended every training session and net for the franchise, giving valuable feedback and advice to young recruits.

In his remarks on the Super Kings Podcast, Samson reminisced about how Dhoni's ascent in Indian cricket had a profound impact on him and traced his passion back to his early years.

According to Sanju Samson, his first recollection of Dhoni dates back to the time when the long-haired former India captain made his debut for his country. After his 148 against Pakistan in Visakhapatnam in 2005 and his undefeated 183 against Sri Lanka in Jaipur later that year, Dhoni's early international career took a sharp turn.

“I was in 4th or 5th standard, very small then. I remember seeing this guy with long hair walking out to bat for India. He would get out in a couple of games and then suddenly score a hundred against Pakistan. He scored 183, then he kept scoring big runs after that. From that moment, I became a huge fan of his,” Samson said on the Super Kings Podcast.

The CSK batter then spoke about the popularity of MS Dhoni in those days and recalled one particular childhood memory involving a Boost bottle sticker, which he cut out and pasted on his diary.

“He was everywhere after that—posters, media, advertisements. He used to feature in Boost ads. At home, we used to drink Boost, and there was a sticker on the bottle. I remember cutting Mahi bhai’s face out from that sticker and sticking it on my diary,” Samson said.

Samson claimed that being around Dhoni at CSK has exceeded his childhood dreams. The 31-year-old claimed to frequently talk to Dhoni, spend time with him, and ask for his counsel.

“From that moment to where I am now, what more can I say? I sit with him, talk with him, play games with him, go to his room, and ask him anything I want. He advises me as well. It’s been a dream, actually more than a dream. I think any kid would dream about this, and I feel very fortunate to be here,” Samson said.

Samson’s form has given CSK a huge boost as captain Ruturaj Gaikwad and other batters struggled in the initial matches.