Captain Cool 2.0? How Sanju Samson's captaincy echoes MS Dhoni's style

Chennai Super Kings captain MS Dhoni is often being defined as someone who thrives under pressure, maintaining an unshakable tranquility, and marshalling his troops, and executing highly effective tactics that turns the game in his favour.

Dhoni was nicknamed as ‘Captain Cool’ due to his ability to remain in pressure situations and not letting his team crumble, enabling them to be focused and calm, which helped them to execute their plans with precision and confidence. Having led Team India at international level, including ICC title-winning campaigns at the 2007 T20 World Cup, 2011 ODI World Cup, and 2013 Champions Trophy, and Chennai Super Kings to five IPL titles, MS Dhoni has cemented as one of the most revered captains of all time.

It has been often said that there is never a player like MS Dhoni who combines unparalleled calmness with shrewd cricketing intelligence, making a split decision that can change the course of a match. Rajasthan Royals skipper Sanju Samson seems to possess a similar calm trait, which is often visible on the field.

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Is Sanju Samson captain cool 2.0?

The calmness like MS Dhoni is difficult to replicate, but Sanju Samson has shown glimpses of it in his leadership. Samson, who has been playing for the Rajasthan Royals since 2013, is always a calm player who would not take unnecessary pressure on himself and rather focus on the task at hand. As a player, Samson possessed a composed and level-headed approach, rarely letting the pressure of the situation affect his performance.

After taking over the reins of Rajasthan Royals as a captain in 2021, Kerala-born cricketer has continued to maintain his handling pressure situations with a level-headed approach, and making calculated decisions. Just like MS Dhoni, Samson’s ability to remain calm in pressure situations stands out. Even after taking risky decisions, the RR skipper would continue to remain calm in order to avoid exerting pressure on his team.

One of the examples is from the IPL 2023 clash against Chennai Super Kings, where he brought in Sandeep Sharma to bowl the final over when MS Dhoni was at strike and CSK needed 21 runs off the last six balls to chase down a 176-run target. His decision paid off as Sandeep Sharma managed to defend the total, securing 3-run win for RR. This moment exemplified his ability to make calculated decisions even under pressure, much like.

Sanju Samson’s standout season as Rajasthan Royals came in 2022, when he led the side to the first IPL final since the first edition of the tournament in 2008, but his side failed to get hold of the coveted trophy as they lost to debutant Gujarat Titans. However, Sanju Samson’s captaincy was widely praised for his calm demeanour, strategic decisions, and ability to keep the team focused despite the high stakes.

Captaincy qualities of Sanju Samson

One of the biggest qualities of Sanju Samson as a captain is his calm demeanour. Samson was rarely seen getting angry or frustrated during the pressure situations. Rather, the 31-year-old would remain calm and composed. In 2023, former India captain turned commentator drew a parallel between Samson and MS Dhoni’s captaincy, stating that he communicates well with his players, while hailing his calmness after Rajasthan Royals defeated Chennai Super Kings.

Another trait or quality of Sanju Samson as a captain, just like MS Dhoni, is that he still has confidence in his teammates and back them even if things were not going well for them. For example, Sandeep Sharma has often been criticized for leaking runs in death overs, but Samson continued to back him, even in crucial games like IPL 2024 Eliminator against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, where he picked a wicket while conceding 48 runs.

Sanju Samson received a special praise from RR head coach Rahul Dravid. Speaking to Sports Star, Dravid stated that Samson’s hunger to learn more, grow, and gain have made him a standout captain.

“He is always asking questions, eager to improve, and has really embraced his leadership role,” he notes. There is great clarity in how he communicates with the group. He knows exactly what he wants from the team and what he aims to achieve.” Dravid said.

Samson’s leadership in IPL 2025

Sanju Samson did not lead Rajasthan Royals in the first three matches as he did not receive clearance from NCA to keep wickets due to thumb injury. He returned to captaincy and wicketkeeping duties for the clash against Punjab Kings.

Despite Samson’s returning to captaincy, Rajasthan Royals are enduring a tough season as they lost five matches in their seven outings. However, RR are still in contention for the playoffs as they have seven more matches to determine their fate in the season. Samson’s captaincy is crucial as Rajasthan Royals look to turn their campaign around and push for a spot in the IPL 2025 playoffs.

As a captain, Sanju Samson has performed well with the bat as he has aggregated 224 runs, including a fifty, at an average 37.33 in seven matches.