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India wicketkeeper batter Sanju Samson will make his debut for the five-time champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026. Ahead of the tournament, while speaking at the India Today Conclave 2026, Samson shared his excitement about joining the team and also spoke highly of MS Dhoni.
During the conversation, Samson’s impressive 97-run knock was brought up. Many fans had noticed how he stayed calm, took the game deep, and finished the chase, a style often associated with MS Dhoni. When asked if this approach was influenced by Dhoni ahead of his CSK debut, Samson gave a funny response by referring to India’s semi-final win at the Wankhede Stadium, where Dhoni was present in the stands.
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"Woh match bhi hum 7 run se jeete hai," Samson said in a video that has now gone viral.
Samson’s journey during the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 was quite dramatic. He was initially dropped from the playing XI, but was later brought back into the team mid-tournament. Once he returned, Samson made the most of the opportunity, scoring 97, 89 and 89 in crucial matches.
His performances played a big role in helping the Indian national cricket team win a record third T20 World Cup title. Samson ended the tournament as India’s highest run-scorer with 321 runs and was also named the Player of the Tournament.
How Sanju Samson joined Chennai Super Kings
Samson joined Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in November 2025 before the mini auction, through a high-profile trade deal ahead of the IPL 2026 season. In that exchange, five-time champions CSK traded veteran all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja and England's Sam Curran to the Rajasthan Royals (RR) to acquire the star wicketkeeper-batter.
CSK's IPL 2026 schedule
| Date | Day | Match | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30/03/26 | Mon | Rajasthan Royals vs. Chennai Super Kings | Guwahati |
| 03/04/26 | Fri | Chennai Super Kings vs. Punjab Kings | Chennai |
| 05/04/26 | Sun | Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs. Chennai Super Kings | Bengaluru |
| 11/04/26 | Sat | Chennai Super Kings vs. Delhi Capitals | Chennai |
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 William Short, Aman Khan, Zak Foulkes, Mukesh Choudhary, Nathan Ellis, Shreyas Gopal, Gurjapneet Singh, Akeal Hosein, Matt Henry, Rahul Chahar.
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