Sanju Samson falters on CSK debut: Details here
What's the story
Star Indian batter Sanju Samson was dismissed cheaply on his Chennai Super Kings (CSK) debut against his former team Rajasthan Royals (RR). The incident took place in the third match of the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL), at Guwahati's Barsapara Cricket Stadium. Samson managed to score just six runs off seven balls in his first game for CSK after a high-profile trade from RR. Here are further details.
Performance
Samson falls cheaply
Rajasthan Royals won the toss and opted to field first. Their decision paid off as Samson, who opened alongside his new skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad, was dismissed in the very second over. Left-arm pacer Nandre Burger got the breakthrough, having shattered Samson's off-stump with a 140.2kph outswinger, which was pitched around the good length. The CSK opener was undone with the movement of the ball as he perished early.
Trade
Samson's history with RR
CSK, who finished last in IPL 2025, traded out prominent all-rounders Sam Curran and Ravindra Jadeja to acquire Samson from Rajasthan Royals for ₹18 crore. Notably, Samson was RR's designated captain from the 2021 to the 2025 season. Overall, he represented the franchise across 11 seasons. The wicketkeeper-batter enjoyed a record-breaking run at the 2026 T20 World Cup, having bagged the Player-of-the-Tournament award with three back-to-back scores of 85-plus.
Career
Here are his IPL stats
Last season, Samson became the first player to score 4,000 runs for Rajasthan Royals in IPL history, as per ESPNcricinfo. He played 149 matches for the franchise and scored 4,027 runs at an average of 31.70 with a strike rate of 141.24. The tally includes two centuries and 23 fifties. Overall, he now boasts 4,710 runs from 178 IPL games at 30.78 (SR: 138.93). This includes 29 scores of 50 or more, including three tons.