"Always wanted to be around him..." Sanju Samson on his respect for MS Dhoni

MS Dhoni and Sanju Samson will be seen in action in IPL 2025 which begins on March 22.

India wicket-keeper batter Sanju Samson revealed his respect for veteran MS Dhoni and stated that he always wanted to be near the legend to pick his brains to make himself better.

Sanju Samson is the captain of the Rajasthan Royals (RR) and will be seen in action in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. MS Dhoni, who won five IPL titles with Chennai Super Kings (CSK), will also play for the franchise in the upcoming tournament that begins on March 22.

During India’s fifth T20I against England in February, Samson was hit by a bouncer from Jofra Archer, injuring his finger. He hasn’t participated in a competitive match since. After that, he had surgery and was unable to play in Kerala’s Ranji Trophy quarter-final match against Jammu & Kashmir.

“After that, I met Mahi bhai…” – Sanju Samson on how his relationship with MS Dhoni grew

Samson made his debut for India in 2015, but he didn’t start receiving consistent opportunities for the national team until 2020 when MS Dhoni retired.

Samson claimed that he used to talk to Dhoni and heed his advice whenever RR played CSK in the IPL. He claimed that after winning Player of the Match in a 2020 match in Sharjah, his bond with Dhoni grew stronger.

“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, and ask him how he does things. It was a dream for me,” Samson said 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. Even now, I meet him often. Just yesterday, I met him again. It’s truly a blessed feeling—to go from idolizing him to now sitting with him for shoots and events. I feel like I’m living my dream,” Samson added.

Samson became the first batter in T20Is to hit three centuries in one calendar year and has established himself as the first-choice opener in the shortest format. He will be eager to impress the selectors during the IPL 2025 to get a chance to be considered for the England tour as well.

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