Overview
- Chennai Super Kings released a Rajinikanth‑referencing ‘Chetta is here’ video to present Sanju Samson, gave him the No. 11 jersey, and shared his first reaction saying he “felt like a champion.”
- CSK acquired Samson from Rajasthan Royals in exchange for Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran, with Samson to play at ₹18 crore and Curran retained at ₹2.4 crore for RR.
- Chennai confirmed Ruturaj Gaikwad will continue as captain, and former India captain Anil Kumble suggested Samson could take over wicketkeeping duties as MS Dhoni potentially shifts roles.
- Kumble also floated Jadeja as an “interesting possibility” to lead Rajasthan Royals, noting RR’s other leadership options such as Riyan Parag, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel and Sam Curran.
- With the mini‑auction set for December 16 in Abu Dhabi, CSK head in with 16 retained players and a purse of ₹43.4 crore, looking to reinforce spin and pace options after recent releases.