Ahead of the 2026 IPL auction, one of the most iconic trades in the history of the tournament took place when the Chennai Super Kings decided to let go of their star all-rounder, Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran in exchange for Sanju Samson from the Rajasthan Royals. He was welcomed warmly by the fans, and the whole of Chennai widely anticipated his performance for the Chennai Super Kings, considering his T20 World Cup heroics for the country. But Sanju Samson has had a disappointing start to his career at the franchise, with the wicketkeeper batter failing to reach double figures in both matches.
Sanju Samson was dismissed for scores of 6 and 7 in the matches against the Gujarat Titans and the Punjab Kings, respectively. "He is not going to score every time. It's T20 cricket, and he is in good form. He is training well, and when he gets going, he is often a match-winner; two innings don't define an area of concern," said Stephen Fleming after the match against the Punjab Kings.
STEPHEN FLEMING ON SANJU SAMSON: "He is not going to score every time. It's T20 cricket but, he is in good form. He is training well and when he gets going, he is often a match-winner so, two innings don't define an area of concern." pic.twitter.com/wRYoAyTgN3
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) April 4, 2026
Faith in Samson Remains as CSK Eye Revival Against RCB
In the modern era of T20 cricket, batters are encouraged to become more fearless in their shot-making to maximise the result of every delivery that they face. Sanju Samson has been a primary example of this approach, as he tries to score off every delivery and prioritises his team ahead of personal milestones. Sanju Samson found his form at the international stage in the T20 World Cup as he was awarded the Player of the Tournament and played crucial knocks for the country in must-win games. It is beyond doubt that Sanju Samson is in excellent touch, and the head coach, Stephen Fleming, is assured that it’s just a matter of time until he gets going to win matches for his side and that his performance simply cannot be underestimated with just two innings.
The Chennai Super Kings are yet to win a match in this edition of the IPL, and they will need their batters to play their top game as their bowling unit is yet to find form. With a star-studded batting unit consisting of Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sanju Samson, Ayush Mhatre, Dewald Brevis and Shivam Dube, the opposition bowlers could be facing potential nightmares. The next game will be against an in-form Royal Challengers Bengaluru, and a victory against the rivals to kick off their campaign could be the perfect start for the Chennai Super Kings.
