'Sanju Samson Would Have Spoken to MS Dhoni': Mohammed Kaif's Stunning RR-CSK Claim Amid Trade Talks Ahead of IPL 2026 Auction

IPL 2026: Is Sanju Samson heading to Chennai Super Kings after his deal did not get sealed at the Delhi Capitals? While the buzz is palpable, the trade talk is that CSK is keen to get Samson on board as MS Dhoni is in the twilight of his career. Chennai would certainly be looking at Dhoni's successor and hence the talk around Samson heading to the Super Kings. Former India cricketer Mohammed Kaif, who has seem IPL become the giant that it is from close quarters, believes that Samson must have spoken to Dhoni and asked him for clarity. 

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Kaif on Samson to CSK

“If Samson is likely to join CSK, there would be a lot of calls. Sanju must have called on the phone. Behind the scenes, there are a lot of phone calls. Sanju might have spoken to CSK, maybe Dhoni, ‘Bhai kya lagta hai.’ See, Dhoni runs the team, and if CSK wants Sanju this time, then he is also the future captain. It also means that this is Dhoni’s last year. Why would they want Sanju? Jadeja has been playing for them for a long time (since 2012)," Kaif said on his YouTube channel. 

Why Samson Over Pant? 

As per Kaif, Samson has better chances of performing well at Chennai than Pant. “The style of batting Sanju Samson has, he is more likely to succeed with the bat in Chennai than Rishabh Pant or KL Rahul. He might come at No. 3 or 4, and he can hit sixes in the middle overs,” he added.

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The last date for retention of players is November 15, while the auction dates are yet to be confirmed.