'Welcome, Sanju': Samson Arrives in Chennai; Gets Thala-Like Reception Ahead of IPL 2026 | VIRAL PIC

IPL 2026: And finally, Sanju Samson has arrived in Chennai. The new CSK-recruit arrived in the city on Thursday ahead of the upcoming season of the IPL. Samson, who recently became India's biggest star at the T20 World Cup, got a ‘Thala-like’ welcome on arriving in the city. 

Samson's form is great and hence he would be expected to get the runs and get his side off to good starts during the IPL season. In all probability, he would open the batting with young Ayush Mhatre. 

The official social media handle of CSK shared the image of Samson's arrival and that has gone viral. The picture was captioned: ‘Chettan in Chennai’. Here are some of the reactions that followed Samson's arrival in Chennai. 

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‘Chettan in Chennai’

CSK in IPL 2026

The Super Kings have a young side heading into the new season. The addition of Samson is bound to boost the CSK side. It is no secret that Samson has confessed his love for the franchise and his desire to represent it. 

Like always, there is much talk over what position will Dhoni occupy in the batting order. Over the past few seasons, Dhoni has pushed himself down the order despite criticisms from all quarters. Interesting to see what number he bats at in 2026.

CSK squad for IPL 2026: Ruturaj Gaikwad (C), MS Dhoni, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, Dewald Brevis, Ayush Mhatre, Kartik Sharma, Sarfaraz Khan, Urvil Patel, Anshul Kamboj, Khaleel Ahmed, Noor Ahmad, Jamie Overton, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Prashant Veer, Matthew Short, Aman Khan, Zak Foulkes, Mukesh Choudhary, Nathan Ellis, Shreyas Gopal, Gurjapneet Singh, Akeal Hosein, Matt Henry, Rahul Chahar.