Yeah, he's the biggest crowd puller after Dhoni, Kohli and Rohit. Those clips were from before the T20 World Cup; now he's even more popular.
Sanju has a cult fan following like Virat, MS and Rohit, but his hate fan base hits him hard when he's inconsistent. Still, the guy stays calm – kudos to him.
He's a relatable guy, much like Rohit or Dhoni – a great choice to carry Dhoni's legacy at CSK.
He's probably the only player besides MSD, Kohli and Rohit who has a real‑life fan base in stadiums. Most others are just online followers. I feel sorry for bowlers – Bumrah doesn't have a massive fan base even though he's arguably the most impactful player ever.
He definitely is, especially after his World Cup heroics in three consecutive knock‑outs. I never watched a specific player after AB in IPL, but I now tune into every CSK match because of Sanju, even though I'm not a CSK fan.
The roar at Chepauk when he walked out to bat against KKR.
(https://i.ibb.co/B5Xm9X2G/guwb2a0uy9xg1.jpg)
I thought he'd always been a fan favourite since his RR days. The "Justice for Sanju" chant started back then – he was a South Indian playing for a northern team, and got support from both Kohli and Dhoni. Fans from RR and even some CSK kids used to meet him at practice sessions. I'm grateful to RR and DD for helping him build a strong crowd‑pulling fan base. I'm sure his CSK stint and next year's IPL will see an even bigger following.
Obviously he can't replace MS, but he's currently the best crowd puller in the market after VK and Rohit.
Whatever people say about the trade, CSK have a guy who can carry the torch after MSD. It's sad Ruturaj isn't living up to expectations with him. It's still mind‑blowing that Sanju wasn't even in the playing XI until the very late stage of the World Cup.
He's simply likable, and I don't want to argue about who the biggest crowd puller is.