Kamal Ghorui
Chennai Super Kings head coach Stephen Fleming has thrown his support behind opening batter Sanju Samson, even as the latter’s start to life with the franchise has come under early scrutiny in IPL 2026. Samson’s high-profile move from Rajasthan Royals ahead of the season carried significant expectations, particularly with CSK looking to bounce back after finishing at the bottom of the table last year. The wicketkeeper-batter also arrived on the back of a stellar run, having been named Player of the Tournament in India’s victorious 2026 T20 World Cup campaign. However, his returns so far have been underwhelming. Samson has managed scores of just 6 and 7 in his first two appearances for CSK, including a low return against his former team Rajasthan Royals and another modest outing at Chepauk against Punjab Kings. Despite the slow start, Fleming dismissed concerns over Samson’s form and urged patience. “He is not going to score every time. It’s T20 cricket, and he just nicked one today. 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,” Fleming told reporters after the match. Samson’s struggles at Chennai’s home venue have also come into focus. In six IPL innings at Chepauk, he has scored only 66 runs at an average of 11 and a strike rate of 100 — his lowest across venues where he has played at least five matches. With six more games scheduled at the ground this season, CSK will be hoping he can reverse that trend. The team itself is enduring a difficult phase. After a disappointing campaign last year, CSK have begun IPL 2026 with back-to-back defeats and now face a stern challenge against defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru in their next fixture.
