After months of work, Chennai Super Kings’ pursuit of Sanju Samson is all set to come to fruition. The trade deal with the Rajasthan Royals is now just awaiting the final approval from the BCCI, with CSK giving up Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran in return.

Meanwhile, it is learnt that the CSK think-tank, including skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad, coach Stephen Fleming and M.S. Dhoni, will meet on Friday to decide the final list of players it plans to retain and release.

CSK, known for its consistency, has had a horrid run over the last two seasons, failing to reach the Playoffs. In this context, Samson’s arrival will be a massive shot in the arm for the Super Kings’ batting line-up, which has struggled from a lack of firepower and dynamism. The five-time champion corrected some errors by signing promising talents Ayush Mathre, Urvil Patel and Dewald Brevis as injury replacements, but it came a bit too late in the year.

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At the same time, by letting Jadeja go, the team now has a gaping hole in the spin department that it needs to fill. For a side that depends heavily on the tweakers, the team is now frantically searching for the right talent who can also contribute with the bat in the upcoming mini auction.

Though CSK has Noor Ahmad, who topped the charts for the side with 24 scalps, it will need a top Indian spinner to complement him. Currently, it has leggie Shreyas Gopal in its roster, but the team will be looking to bolster the department in the mini-auction.

Published on Nov 13, 2025