Sanju Samson’s inclusion could be catalyst for MS Dhoni’s last dance for CSK | Cricket News
Chennai: Sanju Samson’s trade from Rajasthan Royals to Chennai Super Kings lends the team a much-needed boost with some Indian firepower at the top. With Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ayush Mhatre, Dewald Brevis and Shivam Dube, CSK look a strong batting lineup that should pose a serious challenge to any team. While that’s one part of the story, the Kerala cricketer, who has a good fan following in Chennai, has also opened up one more possibility. In all likelihood, it will mean that MS Dhoni’s ‘last dance’, which has been discussed for a while now, is going to be for real this season.
MSD, who has struggled with his body over the last few years and has had a limited batting role due to his dodgy knee, has been training hard to be ready for this season. But contrary to popular belief, he hasn’t exactly been actively a part of the team-building process, which includes Ravindra Jadeja’s trade to Rajasthan Royals. The captaincy this season will be entirely on Ruturaj, and Samson will be an active member of the leadership group. The swashbuckling former RR man is also a wicketkeeper who harbours India hopes as a keeper-batter, with the IPL giving him the platform to showcase his skills.Dhoni, on the other hand, prefers keeping even when he is not the captain. “There is a chance that he may offer Sanju the gloves in some of the games in this IPL,” a source close to developments told TOI. If he does so, there could be a serious chance that Dhoni will come into those games as a batting ‘impact sub’, something that will allow his body some relief as well. While Samson and Ruturaj will be leading the five-time champions’ transition process, Dhoni will get another chance to keep a promise to the CSK fans that he had made a few years ago. He had said that his last IPL match will be at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in front of his adoring fans. For the last couple of years, there has been a lot of anticipation when CSK played their last game at Chepauk, but the announcement never came. This time around, Dhoni can take the curtain call in one of CSK’s home games. But the tricky part will come if the Yellow Army makes the last-four stage. With defending champions RCB unlikely to get hosting rights for the final due to the Chinnaswamy tragedy, it will be interesting to see if the BCCI allots knockout games to Chennai. If that happens and CSK make the final, it will be a fairytale ending — Dhoni fans who have been waiting and dreading this moment in equal measure.
