Sanju Samson (Image credit: BCCI/IPL) Sanjay Manjrekar believes that Sanju Samson should take inspiration from Virat Kohli when it comes to fitness, suggesting that Samson is not yet at the same physical level as the former India captain.Samson has been one of the standout performers for Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2026. After struggling in his first three matches following his sensational Rs 18 crore move from Rajasthan Royals, the wicketkeeper-paler staged a remarkable comeback. He has since scored two centuries and a half-century, amassing 402 runs in 10 matches at an average of 57.42 to stay firmly in the Orange Cap race.
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Hemang Badani admits ‘perform or perish’ as DC faces must-win situationHis last match-winning outing came against Delhi Capitals where he smashed an unbeaten 87 off 52 balls on a tricky pitch to lead CSK to victory and win the Player of the Match award. Samson also became the first batsman in IPL history to be involved in two 100-plus partnerships against Delhi Capitals in the same season.Earlier in the campaign, Samson registered an unbeaten 115 against Delhi Capitals in Chennai and followed it up with another 101 against Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium. He also crossed the 5000 IPL mark during CSK’s clash against Kolkata Knight Riders in April 2026.While Samson has turned his season around and carried over the momentum from his memorable comeback to the T20 World Cup, Manjrekar feels the 31-year-old still has room for improvement in terms of fitness and longevity. The former India batsman urged Samson to follow Kohli’s disciplined fitness standards to maintain his purple streak in the shortest format.
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“I am also saying this about Sanju Samson, who is also not 25 years old, because he has reached the peak of his achievements only to maintain it. He could also do the same because I can see that he is also not in peak physical condition,” the Mumbaikar said on Sportstar’s Insight Edge Podcast.“When you have a great example like Virat Kohli who has had such a long career. You know, just because he puts so much importance on fitness. He had tremendous ability but he made sure that his body didn’t let him down. Because that’s what you can control,” he added.
