Last Updated on 4 weeks ago by Charbel Coorey

Sanju Samson made his IPL debut at a very young age back in 2013 for the Rajasthan Royals. Later on, he moved to the Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) before coming back to the Royals in 2018. 

Samson became RR captain back in 2021. He is the Royals’ longest-serving skipper and under his leadership, Rajasthan qualified for the final in 2022, the first time they reached the decider since the inaugural edition of the Indian Premier League in 2008.

Speaking at an event, Samson said, “This is the first time I will play against the Rajasthan Royals, but I don’t let my emotions rule me on the field. I left Rajasthan Royals because I felt my time there was over. I will play my best cricket now if we face them.”  

Samson said that there will be emotions before and after the game, but on the field, he won’t think much about them. “I don’t think much about emotions on the ground as the situation dictates the game. But certainly before and after the game, there will be emotions, as there are players and support staff with whom I’ve shared a long association,” he continued. 

Excited to spend two months with Dhoni: Sanju Samson speaking about leaving the Royals and linking up with CSK

“I am really excited to be a part of CSK. I had a chat with Dhoni bhai earlier and always had positive vibes. Spending close to two months with him will be a great opportunity to observe and learn,” Samson said.

The Chennai crowd absolutely loved Sanju Samson during the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. Talking about that, he said, “I was surprised by the support from the Chennai crowd. Maybe they see me as one of them. I don’t want to disappoint them and will give my best for CSK.”

Chennai Super Kings’ first clash of the IPL will be against the Rajasthan Royals in Guwahati, Assam. 

It will be interesting to see how Samson performs against his former team for whom he has scored 4027 runs in 143 games at an average of 32 at a strike rate of 141.20 with 23 fifties and two hundreds.