Former India batsman Suresh Raina believes Sanju Samson should man the No.3 position for Chennai Super Kings in the upcoming Indian Premier League 2026 season, saying the move would bring better balance to the team’s batting order.Samson heads into IPL 2026 in excellent form after an impressive campaign in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup where he produced a number of strong performances. The wicketkeeper-batsman scored back-to-back half-centuries in the Super 8s against West Indies, the semi-final against England and the final against New Zealand in the opening innings.
Sanju Samson starts his T20 World Cup journey and wins the title
Raina suggests reshaping CSK’s top order
Despite Samson’s success as an opener, Raina believes CSK should retain Ruturaj Gaikwad and Ayush Mhatre at the top of the order. According to Raina, Samson at No.3 would provide stability and help connect the top order with the middle order.“He has been the captain of Rajasthan Royals for so many years. I think his role will be clear here. If Sanju plays at number three, I think it will be good because then Dewald Brevis will come at number four,” Raina told JioHotstar in an interview.Raina further explained that such a batting order will strengthen the CSK line-up.“Shivam Dube will come at number five. At number six, it depends on who you bring in – whether it’s Prashant Veer, Akhil Hussain or Noor Ahmed. It will also depend on how many overseas fast bowlers decide to play,” he added.
Samson backed to take over as goalkeeper
Raina also backed Samson to handle the wicket duties for CSK, suggesting that veteran skipper MS Dhoni might only play a closing role with the bat. “Sanju will be there as a keeper. We saw the atmosphere he created during the World Cup. His role will be very important at number three,” Raina said.He added that allowing Gaikwad and Mhatre to open would provide CSK with a more experienced middle order.“With Brevis coming in with Sanju and then Shivam Dube behind him, it’s very important to have someone like Sanju who brings experience,” explained Raina.Samson’s blockbuster moves to CSKSamson joined CSK ahead of IPL 2026 after being traded from Rajasthan Royals ahead of the auction in exchange for Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran. The batsman from Kerala brings considerable experience to the IPL as he has played 177 matches and scored 4707 runs at an average of 30.95.
