‘At some point, MS Dhoni will move on’ – Head coach Stephen Fleming on CSK’s trade to bring in Sanju Samson

Head coach Stephen Fleming explained how  MS Dhoni’s future as a CSK cricketer played a role in the five-time champions’ decision to trade Sanju Samson into the franchise in exchange for Sam Curran and Ravindra Jadeja

Fleming said that CSK wanted to make preparations for life after Dhoni’s retirement, and that was the rationale behind them bringing Samson into the setup. The Kerala cricketer is just 31 years old, and if he can maintain his form and fitness, he can play for the franchise for another cycle at least. Dhoni, on the other hand, is in the twilight stage of his career and is 44 years old at the moment.

“For us, the opportunity was there. We felt we were still a little bit light in our opening batting. And we were also looking at the fact that at some point, MS will move on,” Fleming said at the IPL 2026 auction in Abu Dhabi.

“Sanju is an international-quality player, and he fills that role very well. So it’s succession planning, but also about refreshing the group and looking at what Chennai will look like in six years, not just two,” the former New Zealand captain stated.

CSK have always been famous for signing experienced players who have been there and done it all. However, the IPL 2026 auction saw them tweaking their philosophy as they invested heavily in the youth, with an eye of the futute.

The Men in Yellow roped in Kartik Sharma and Prashant Veer for INR 14.2 crore, respectively. While Kartik is an explosive wicketkeeper-batter, Veer is known for hitting sixes at will and can also bowl spin. The Super Kings have also picked Matt Henry and Akeal Hosein to bolster the bowling department.

Another tactical pick for CSK was Sarfaraz Khan for just INR 75 lakh. The Mumbai batter can also keep wickets, and he will add a new dimension to the lineup. He slammed a breathtaking 73 off just 22 balls against Rajasthan in the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy on Tuesday.