‘He’s CSK's backbone; batting on different level’: Samson receives massive praise after DC rout
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "‘He’s CSK's backbone; batting on different level’: Samson receives massive praise after DC rout")
‘He’s CSK backbone; batting on different level’ Samson receives massive praise Photograph: (Others)
CSK skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad and ex-Australian opener Aaron Finch hail Sanju Samson's "different level" of batting after his match-winning 87 against DC. See how the T20 World Cup hero is leading Chennai's IPL 2026 playoff charge.
CSK opener and keeper-batter Sanju Samson has quickly become the backbone of his new IPL team, his team captain, Ruturaj Gaikwad, said. Following his unbeaten 87 against the Delhi Capitals (DC) the other night, Samson breached the 400-run mark for this season for CSK in 10 outings, averaging just above 57 and striking at close to 160. Although he has yet to click with Gaikwad at the top, with CSK captain lagging in form, Samson has stitched a few match-winning stands with rookie batters, including Karthik Sharma. Former Australia T20I captain, Aaron Finch, also praised Samson, saying he is batting at a different level.
Samson’s third 80-plus score this season resulted in an eight-wicket win for CSK against DC, their fifth overall, placing them sixth on the points table with 10 points. His run-scoring spree is a continuation of his purple patch during the fag end of the concluded T20 World Cup, which saw him win the Player of the Tournament award in India’s triumphant campaign.
Also read | IPL 2026 | 'BCCI ensures no home advantage': DC coach Hemang Badani on four losses in five matches
"On the batting side," Ruturaj said. "I would say, more than grateful to have Sanju in the side after the tournament he had even in the World Cup and even now. So, obviously, he's a backbone now."
Samson’s move to Chennai was part of a blockbuster switch, which also included the trading of CSK veteran Ravindra Jadeja and their overseas quick Sam Curran to the Rajasthan Royals. Having struggled to find form and settle into his new IPL team’s setup, Samson failed in his early few games but found his mojo later, smashing two hundreds already for CSK.
"He missed out on the first couple of games, didn't he? All of a sudden, there was a massive panic that what has CSK done," Finch said on ESPNcricinfo's TimeOut show.
"They've got Sanju Samson, and he's not performing. Two games in T20 is nothing. To go right through a season ultra-consistent is so difficult. You probably can't underestimate the pressure on somebody going into a team like CSK. Being a huge marquee signing, particularly when you have traded someone like Jadeja out of the side as well.
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"This is what you're traded for and the superstar that you've been crying out for. So, the fact that he's batting on a different level is great to see,” he continued.
Meanwhile, Samson has broken into the top five players with the most runs thus far this season. Sanju is in fifth place, with KL Rahul (445 runs), Abhishek Sharma (440 runs), Heinrich Klaasen (425 runs) and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (404) ahead of him.
