Retired for 12 years, Muttiah Muralitharan leaves India’s T20 World Cup hero Sanju Samson flummoxed; MS Dhoni looks on

Muttiah Muralitharan has still got it, and in the presence of MS Dhoni, Sanju Samson found out why.

Updated on: Mar 24, 2026, 07:12:01 IST

Written by Aditya Bhattacharya

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What happens when a bowling legend from yesteryear takes on one of today’s batting stars? That question was answered when spin wizard Muttiah Muralitharan bowled to India’s T20 World Cup hero Sanju Samson. The wicketkeeper-batter, who was named Player of the Tournament after smashing a hat-trick of half-centuries and scoring 321 runs in just five matches, is set to represent Chennai Super Kings in the 19th edition of the Indian Premier League after spending 11 years at the Rajasthan Royals.

What happened when Muttiah Muralitharan bowled to Sanju Samson? (Screengrab)

Ahead of IPL 2026, CSK brought together their legends – Matthew Hayden, Dwayne Bravo and Muttiah Muralitharan – for a fun cricket session. Shivam Dube bowled to Hayden, Bravo rolled his arm over against Ambati Rayudu, but the most intriguing contest unfolded when Murali, ball in hand, squared up against the red-hot Samson.

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Muralitharan began with a few warm-up deliveries, which Samson safely defended. However, it didn’t take long for the Samson to realise what many great batters from the late 1990s to early 2010s had discovered – just how wily Murali can be. Slipping in a quicker one, Muralitharan beat Samson in flight. As the batter charged down the track to heave, he missed it completely and was stumped by MS Dhoni. Murali retired from international cricket after the 2011 World Cup, but continued playing in the IPL for CSK till 2014.

Watch the duel here:

The Samson boost for CSK

Rajasthan Royals earlier traded Sanju Samson to Chennai Super Kings in a high-profile deal involving Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran. Samson and Jadeja were retained ahead of the 2025 season for ₹18 crore each, although the all-rounder took a ₹4 crore pay cut to return to his home franchise. CSK will hope the move pays off, especially after Samson’s recent run – an unbeaten 97 against the West Indies, 89 against England in the semi-final, and another 89 against New Zealand in the final – underlining his rich vein of form. Dhoni was in attendance in Mumbai and Ahmedabad, witnessing Samson’s exploits up close and personal.

About 48 hours ago, Samson was seen in a long, deep conversation with Dhoni. In many ways, Samson playing for CSK could impact how the rest of Dhoni’s IPL career shapes up. For the longest time, it was believed that Dhoni wanted to oversee the franchise’s transition, and although CSK have invested in Ruturaj Gaikwad as their captain and the man to lead the team into the future, his and the team’s performance have left a lot to be desired. CSK failed to make the Playoffs in the last two seasons of the IPL, finishing last season with the wooden spoon. That Gaikwad got injured, forcing Dhoni to return to captaincy, didn’t help either.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Aditya Bhattacharya
Aditya Bhattacharya is the Sports Editor at Hindustan Times Digital, with close to 15 years of experience in sports journalism. Over the course of his career, he has worked with leading media organisations including Cricbuzz, The Times of India, Network18 and Zee. Primarily a cricket writer, Aditya has covered several marquee events, including the 2016 ICC World T20, the 2019 ICC World Cup in England and the 2023 World Cup in India. His reporting portfolio also includes international cricket across England, South Africa and New Zealand, along with forays into tennis, including coverage of the Australian Open. He has interviewed several prominent athletes across sports. Aditya began his career with a brief stint at CricketNext before getting his first major break at Cricbuzz, where he was part of the Times Network’s startup venture GoCricket, which later merged with Cricbuzz. After nearly 18 months there, he moved to The Times of India, covering his first World Cup assignment and reporting first-hand on landmark moments such as Virat Kohli’s iconic innings against Australia in Mohali. During his three-year tenure, he played a key role in both reporting and desk operations and was recognised as TOI Employee of the Quarter in 2016. He later joined Zee, where he covered the 2019 World Cup across five venues in England—an assignment he considers a career highlight. At Hindustan Times, Aditya’s leadership came to the fore as he was promoted to lead the sports team within 18 months. Under his stewardship, the section has delivered extensive coverage of global sporting events, including the IPL, Olympics, Cricket World Cups, FIFA World Cups, Commonwealth Games and Asian Games. In 2024, he was named HT DigiStar of the Year. Aditya continues to adapt to the evolving digital publishing landscape, with a sharp focus on search and audience engagement. Outside work, he occasionally plays the guitar and remains an avid gamer.Read More

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