Poor Beginning For Sanju Samson In IPL 2026, Star Batter Departs For Six On CSK Debut vs Rajasthan Royals

Sanju Samson's CSK debut didn't turn out the way he had hoped. An excellent delivery from Nandre Burger crashes into his stumps as Sanju tried to flick the ball towards the leg side. His first innings in the yellow jersey has been cut short early, and the Rajasthan Royals would be hoping to capitalise on the occasion in Guwahati.

Sanju Samson Had A Disappointing CSK Debut

Sanju ended his prolonged stay with the Rajasthan Royals and joined CSK in a mega trade deal, which also saw Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran moving the other way. On the back of a brilliant T20 World Cup, there was a sense of optimism in the CSK camp. But the Royals perfectly executed the plan to dismiss the dangerous Samson very early in the innings.

Burger pitched the ball in the middle, and the ball seamed away from Samson, invading his defence. CSK are staring at a colossal defeat, having lost eight wickets within just 80 runs. This is the first time in six years that Sanju has been dismissed for less than fifty.

 Sanju Samson Is CSK's MS Dhoni Succession Plan?

CSK’s main target will be to fix the ideal team combination, ensuring they can overcome the weaknesses that were exposed last season. Sanju's potential arrival is being seen as  CSK's long=term succession plan after MS Dhoni's retirement from IPL. CEO Kasi Vishwanathan's latest comment further sparked a buzz as he confirmed Samson will be behind the stumps for CSK in IPL.

He said, “See, obviously, Sanju will be keeping because his MS Dhoni is not going to play. Sanju's form is great and he's been knocking well in the nets also. So we're hoping that he'll give the impact that CSK is looking for during the current season. Of course, we have Ruturaj, who is also capable of taking the team to higher levels, and his captaincy is one which definitely will lift the team.”

CSK will next host Punjab Kings at Chepauk on April 3.

Also Read: IPL 2026: CSK Plotting Major MS Dhoni Succession Plan With Sanju Samson?