Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], August 9 : Former Indian cricketer Kris Srikkanth said on Saturday that wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson, currently representing Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the Indian Premier League (IPL), is the "right replacement" for legendary multi-time IPL winning skipper MS Dhoni in the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) set-up, pointing out to his popularity in the state.
Srikkanth was speaking on his Youtube Channel. His comments amid media reports that Samson, who leads the Pink franchise, could switch to CSK and has asked RR to release him ahead of the next IPL season, reportedly due to a drift between him and head coach Rahul Dravid.
Speaking about Samson on his channel, Srikkanth said, "To tell you the truth, Sanju is a brilliant player and he is very popular in Chennai. He has got a good brand image in Chennai. As I said, I will be the first one to pick him for Chennai if he is willing to leave and comes this side."
"He is the right replacement for MS Dhoni. Dhoni can maximum play this season, maybe not the year after and then you can have a smooth transition. But I feel if Ruturaj Gaikwad has been given the captaincy, he should be continued with," he added.
Dhoni, aged 44, is in the twilight of his IPL career, having retired from international cricket back in 2019. During the last season, he led the side after Gaikwad was ruled out due to injury. His captaincy could not change the team's fortunes as they finished at the bottom with just four wins. Batting as a finisher, Dhoni scored 196 runs in 13 innings, with an average of 24.50, a strike rate of over 135, with a best score of 30*.
Continuing, Srikkanth said that as per reports, there seems to be rift between Samson and Dravid.
"But I am not fully aware. Look at it from a franchise point of view. They have paid him a certain amount and retained him. They have formed the team around him. All of a sudden, if you release him, what happens to the team balance? They have not won the IPL since 2008. They have reached the final after that (in 2022). I do not think I would let go of Sanju Samson. If they want to promote Riyan Parag as captain, that is their choice. I would still play Samson as a batter. He has been paid Rs 18 crore," Srikkanth concluded.
Having played for Delhi Capitals from 2016-17, Samson has been a part of the RR set-up for the majority of his IPL career since his debut in 2013, scoring 4,027 runs at an average of 31.71, with two centuries and 23 fifties. Last year, in an injury-ridden season, he scored 285 runs in nine matches at an average of 35.63, with a fifty to his name. Riyan captained in his absence.
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