Sanju Samson’s much-awaited Chennai Super Kings debut ended in disappointment as his wicket-taker fell for just six runs against his former franchise Rajasthan Royals at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati on Monday.
Known for his strong starts to IPL seasons, Samson saw the remarkable run come to an end. For the first time since 2020, he failed to score a fifty in his opening game of the campaign. His early dismissal triggered a collapse at the top. Chennai were reduced to 19 for 2 in three overs, Samson and Ruturaj Gaikwad back in the pavilion. It was the kind of start that mirrored their struggles last season.
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Gaikwad, who made 6 off 10 balls, tried to break the shackles by stepping back to make room. Jofra Archer responded with quick pace, sending down a 143.3 kmph delivery that beat the bat and hit mid-stump, leaving CSK at 19 for 3.
The slide continued in the same manner. In short, Nandre Burger hit one, rushing Mhatre to make a mistake. The ball brushed his gloves on the way to the keeper and sent him in for a golden duck. Rajasthan Royals took control of the powerplay with Burger and Archer setting the tone.
Chennai brought in Sarfaraz Khan as a substitute in an attempt to stabilize the innings.
However, Samson’s dismissal remained central to the early damage. His record in IPL openers since 2020 highlights how unusual this failure was:
74 (32) vs. CSK, 2020
119 (63) vs PBKS, 2021
55 (27) vs. SRH, 2022
55 (32) vs. SRH, 2023
82* (52) vs LSG, 2024
66 (37) vs SRH, 2025
6 (7) vs. RR, 2026
Opening the inning, Samson was immediately under pressure from Archer. The first ball bounced back and took an inside edge. Archer then beat him outside off before invoking another edge that flew through short third for four. Despite the boundary, Samson struggled to find fluency and scored just six runs in the opening over.
In the next over, Burger secured the breakthrough. Bowled at over 140km/hr, he got one on board as Samson attempted a leg flick. The ball went around the bat and hit the stumps, ending his innings on 6 off 7 balls.
The first wicket also drew attention to the trade that brought Samson from Rajasthan to Chennai a season ago. Rajasthan batted first in this match but the bigger assessment will take place over the course of the tournament.
Samson is expected to take over the wicket duties in the absence of MS Dhoni, who has been ruled out for two weeks with a calf strain. Chennai will look to him to settle in quickly and provide stability at the top as the season progresses.
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Issued by:
Saurabh Kumar
Published on:
30 March 2026 20:01 IST
