India wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson has said that every time the Rajasthan Royals played against the Chennai Super Kings, he wanted to sit and talk to former India captain MS Dhoni, admitting to his heartfelt admiration for the latter.
Samson made his debut for India a decade back, but it was just after Dhoni’s retirement five years ago that he began getting regular opportunities for the national side.
Samson said that his relationship with Dhoni strengthened after winning the Player of the Match award during a match in Sharjah five years back, adding that he wanted to spend as much time as he could around Dhoni whenever their respective sides faced off in IPL.
“Like every young Indian cricketer, I always wanted to be around MS Dhoni. Every time we played against CSK, I wanted to sit and talk to him, ask him how he does things. It was a dream for me,” Samson said while speaking on JioHotstar.
“I remember playing a match against CSK in Sharjah, where I finally performed well, scored around 70-80 runs, won the game and became the Man of the Match. After that, I met Mahi bhai and since then, our relationship has grown,” Samson said.
“Just yesterday, I met him again. It’s truly a blessed feeling- to go from idolising him to now sitting with him for shoots and events. I feel like I’m living my dream,” Samson added.
Dhoni, who will be playing in IPL 2025 for Chennai under the new skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad, continues to be a huge influence on young cricketers.
