Sanju Samson and MS Dhoni (Agency Pic) Sanju Samson offered a candid insight into life at Chennai Super Kings, admitting that the move brought a sense of responsibility and a noticeable shift in mindset.In a video shared by the franchise, Samson spoke about the pressure and pride of representing one of the most successful teams in the IPL. “It’s a very different feeling for me… a very star-studded kind of franchise that I’m involved in these days. So I feel a bit more responsible. I can’t throw away my wicket that easily. Right after you throw away your wicket, you walk into the airport and people are like ‘chetta, play more carefully,'” he said.
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Ashwani Kumar opens Mumbai Indians win, team mindsetThe goalkeeper added that he quickly adapted to the environment at CSK. “So I’m getting very used to being a CSK player and I’ve settled in a bit, I can feel it. After two weeks, I was just like everyone else.”Samson also highlighted the culture within the franchise, crediting former captain MS Dhoni for shaping its identity. “Being a championship side doesn’t mean acting like a champion or being arrogant or anything like that. The core values are set by Mahi bhai and you can really feel it in every player in the team and the support staff. They all behave very calm and cool. That’s actually in line with how I behave too, so I feel very happy here.”However, ČSK had a mixed campaign on the field so far. They recently suffered a narrow 10-run defeat to Sunrisers Hyderabad and are currently eighth in the points table with just two wins from six matches. They will next face Mumbai Indians in a crucial clash.Samson’s own journey this season has mirrored the team’s inconsistency. After a quiet start, he returned to form with a sensational unbeaten 115 against Delhi Capitals. In all, he has scored 192 runs in six matches at an average of 38.40 and a strike rate of 174.55, making him the second highest run-scorer for CSK.The onus on Samson will further increase following the injury to young opener Ayush Mhatre, who has been ruled out for the rest of the season with a hamstring problem. Mhatre was CSK’s top scorer with 201 runs in six matches. He joins Khaleel Ahmed and Nathan Ellis on the sidelines, adding to the team’s injury concerns.Adding to their challenges, MS Dhoni is yet to feature this season as he is still recovering from the calf injury he sustained before the tournament, leaving CSK to go through a crucial phase without their iconic leader.
