'I felt like a champion': Sanju Samson's emotional leap into CSK’s iconic yellow after blockbuster IPL trade

NEW DELHI: Sanju Samson has finally slipped into the iconic Chennai Super Kings yellow — and the India wicketkeeper-batter says it feels every bit as surreal and powerful as he had imagined over the years. In a dramatic shift ahead of the IPL 2026 mini-auction, CSK acquired Samson in a blockbuster trade with Rajasthan Royals, a move that also saw Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran head the other way.

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In a video posted by Chennai Super Kings on social media, Samson opened up about the long-awaited moment. Wearing the yellow No. 11 jersey for the first time, he admitted the move had stirred powerful emotions.


“I have been waiting for this day and I'm very fortunate that I am going to wear the yellow jersey,” he said.

Samson, who has spent the vast majority of his 11-season IPL career in darker-coloured jerseys — primarily with Rajasthan Royals — described the sensation of wearing CSK colours as unexpectedly overwhelming.

“I always am in my dark colours like black, blue, brown, but yellow. Definitely, I think great feeling,” he said.

He added, “To wear that jersey, I never thought about how I would feel after wearing CSK… it felt positive and I felt very happy. It felt different, like a different energy. I felt like a champion. I felt like, okay, wow.”

WATCH: Sanju Samson's emotional introduction in CSK's iconic Yellow jersey

CSK's move to bring Samson onboard comes years after speculation about who would eventually succeed MS Dhoni. With 177 IPL matches, 4704 runs, three centuries and 26 fifties, Samson arrives as one of the league's most seasoned Indian batters.

But the emotional signing came with a cost. CSK parted ways with franchise legend Ravindra Jadeja and English all-rounder Sam Curran in the three-player trade. Jadeja, who served CSK across 12 seasons and is among the IPL's most experienced players, will play for RR at a revised fee of Rs 14 crore, while Samson joins CSK at his existing fee of Rs 18 crore.

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