Anil Kumble Believes Sanju Samson Will Shine Bright For CSK In IPL 2026: 'His Experience Will Be Valuable'

IPL 2026: Months before the start of the 2026 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL), Rajasthan Royals (RR) traded Sanju Samson to Chennai Super Kings (CSK) for a massive amount of ₹18 crore. In return, Ravindra Jadeja joined the Rajasthan-based franchise.

Currently, Sanju Samson is in tremendous form in T20Is. He was named the Player of the Tournament in the T20 World Cup 2026, playing a crucial role in India’s title-winning campaign.

In the T20 World Cup 2026, Samson played five matches for Team India, scoring 321 runs at an average of 80.25. Cricket fans are now hoping the India wicketkeeper-batter will have a blockbuster season for the Super Kings in IPL 2026.

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Anil Kumble Decodes Sanju Samson's Move To CSK

While speaking on Star Sports, Anil Kumble compared Samson with cricket greats like Sunil Gavaskar, MS Dhoni, and Virat Kohli. The former cricketer believes the Chennai-based franchise will benefit immensely from Samson’s inclusion in the squad.

“Icons from one generation to another, the baton has passed on in Indian cricket, from Sunil Gavaskar to Sachin, then to Virat, with MS Dhoni also part of that era. You had the likes of Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly before the shift to MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli, who still carry that aura and continue to perform. In that sense, Sanju coming in is a great move for CSK,” Anil Kumble said.

He added that Samson’s current form will be the “icing on the cake” for CSK. Kumble concluded by saying that the 31-year-old will be valuable for the franchise.

“The icing on the cake is his fantastic form leading into the IPL and winning the World Cup for India with three back-to-back knocks. I’m sure that will certainly contribute to the franchise’s fan following. From a Chennai perspective, he fits their need — being Kerala-born, speaks Tamil, so there’s a connect, a wicketkeeper-batter in a similar mould to MS, and his experience will be valuable for CSK,” he added.

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Sanju Samson's Numbers In IPL

Samson has played 177 matches and 172 innings in the IPL, scoring 4,704 runs at a strike rate of 139.04 and an average of 30.94. He has registered three centuries and 26 fifties in the cash-rich league.