"Dhoni needs to bat higher....": De Villiers' take on Indian legend's role with CSK ahead of IPL 2026

The five-time champions will start their 2026 IPL season against the Rajasthan Royals at Guwahati on March 30. This match will witness the newly-crowned T20 World Cup 'Player of the Tournament', Sanju, locking horns against his former franchise. The presence of Samson will be a massive plus for CSK as the wicketkeeper-batter would undoubtedly provide his new team with a lot of intel about a team which he represented for over a decade.

Sanju was traded to CSK for his original price of Rs 18 crores, at which RR retained him ahead of the previous season. In turn, CSK gave the inaugural champions two quality all-rounders, Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran. Jadeja, who represented the Royals in the formative stages of his career before a lengthy stint under Dhoni and later, Ruturaj Gaikwad with CSK, will have a homecoming this season. However, his price has come down from Rs 18 crores to Rs 14 crores. Curran, however, will be representing RR at his existing fee of Rs 2.4 crores.

Speaking on JioStar's 'IPL Today Live', JioStar expert de Villiers spoke on MS's role over the years with the CSK, saying that by batting way down the order and not captaining the side, he is "almost just making up for a spot for the wrong reasons". Noting his impact with the bat even as a finisher in recent years, AB opines that the Indian cricketing icon should bat at number six at least and five or four occasionally.

"It is very tricky and not straightforward (Dhoni's role with the CSK over recent years). Brands are built over years, and CSK have built this empire over many years with this MS Dhoni figure that's always been there. When you mention CSK, you immediately think of Dhoni. I feel that in the last few years, his role has purely been about keeping that brand as strong as possible. That's why I do not see a role for him batting at eight or nine and not really doing enough, like last season. We know he can be impactful with the bat, but if he is batting that low and not captaining, it feels like he's almost just making up for a spot for the wrong reasons. There is still a place for him, but he needs to bat higher, at least at six, maybe even at five or four at times," said De Villiers.

Sanju's presence in the team also opens up discussions about Dhoni's future, as the 44-year-old superstar, a multi-time champion with Team India and CSK, is in the twilight of his career and has been batting for the last few years as a lower-order hitter who can tonk sixes during the death overs phase.

Speaking on Sanju taking the baton from Dhoni as the franchise's marquee superstar and their potential captain in future, the Proteas legend said, "It is a tricky situation, but Sanju Samson is the right guy to take over, and credit to Dhoni because he has hung around, waiting for the right person to come. If MS plays, I want him to put himself under more pressure and be the guy to handle those big moments."

Samson had been the face of Rajasthan Royals for more than a decade, representing the franchise in 11 seasons. Having joined RR in 2013, he quickly became one of their key players and was retained ahead of the 2014 season, at just 19 years old.

After RR's two-year suspension (2016-17), Samson returned in 2018 and took over the captaincy in 2021. Under his leadership and with the guidance of team director Kumar Sangakkara, RR reached the IPL final in 2022, their first appearance since winning the inaugural edition in 2008.

Samson led the team in 67 matches, winning and losing 33 each. He had his best IPL season in 2024, scoring 531 runs at an average of 48.27 and a strike rate of 153.47, with five fifties. He was retained for Rs 18 crore ahead of the 2025 season, but a side injury midway through the campaign ruled him out of the second half of the tournament, as RR's form collapsed, leading to a series of close losses. The team finished ninth out of ten. In the 2025 season, Samson scored 285 runs in nine innings at an average of above 35 and a strike rate of above 140, with a fifty to his name. During the 2016 and 2017 seasons, Samson also represented the Delhi Capitals (DC) when the Pink franchise got suspended.

The star wicketkeeper is RR's top run-getter across the IPL and Champions League T20, with 4,219 runs in 155 matches and 150 innings at an average of 31.96, strike rate of above 140, with two centuries and 26 innings. (ANI)