Former India international Mohammad Kaif believes that if Chennai Super Kings (CSK) finalise a trade deal to bring in Sanju Samson, it could mark the beginning of the end of MS Dhoni’s career with the long-term franchise. Kaif said that the reported trade — Samson to CSK in exchange for Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran to Rajasthan Royals (RR) — is part of Dhoni’s ‘long-term’ vision to pick a deserving heir before leaving.

According to reports, CSK and RR have all but finalised the trade after speaking to all three players. The next step is to ratify the deal with the IPL governing council and get an agreement finalised.

Ruturaj Gaikwad is CSK’s captain, though he missed most of the last season, allowing Dhoni to take the lead again. The latter is 43, and there’s a good chance that 2026 wo

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