4 World Champions in one frame… Dhoni salutes Team India's new 'Superman' Sanju Samson and Junior King Ayush, fans become emotional

New Delhi. MA from Chennai. Sunday evening at Chidambaram Stadium (Chepauk) witnessed one of the most memorable moments in the history of cricket. In the grand program 'ROAR 2026' organized before the start of IPL, Mahendra Singh Dhoni honored his own team's three world champions Sanju Samson, Shivam Dubey and young star Ayush Mhatre. While sharing these pictures on social media, Chennai Super Kings wrote, 'The World Champions were honored by the legendary Dhoni himself.' Seeing this scene, thousands of fans present in the stadium became emotional.

This moment was very special for Sanju Samson. Sanju's comeback after sitting out the initial matches of the 2026 T20 World Cup will be remembered as the 'Greatest Redemption' in cricket history. Sanju, who played a record innings of 89 runs in the final against New Zealand, was adjudged 'Player of the Tournament' for his excellent performance throughout the tournament. Getting respect from Dhoni was like a dream come true for Sanju.

Middle order powerhouse Shivam Dubey
Shivam Dubey had a big role in making India world champion on home soil under the captaincy of Suryakumar Yadav. Dubey, with his aggressive batting, gave the momentum in the middle order, which pushed the Kiwi team on the back foot. Dhoni, who himself is an admirer of Dubey's finishing skills, patted the all-rounder on the back and wished him all the best for the future.

India's emerging 'Captain Cool' Ayush Mhatre
Captain Ayush Mhatre, who led India to the sixth Under-19 World Cup win in Harare, Zimbabwe in February 2026, was the youngest star of the evening. It was an emotional moment for Ayush, who scored a half-century against England in the final and gave India a historic 100-run win, taking a memento from Dhoni. The cricket world is seeing a big future captain in Ayush.

Chennai's mission will start from Guwahati
With this felicitation ceremony, five-time champion CSK has kicked off its 19th season campaign. Chennai will play its first match against Rajasthan Royals on March 30 in Guwahati. After this, on 03 April it will be CSK vs Punjab Kings, on 05 April it will be Chennai vs defending champion Royal Challengers Bangalore and on 11 April it will be Delhi Capitals.