IPL 2026: Stephen Fleming backs Sanju Samson amid poor run
What's the story
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) head coach Stephen Fleming has come out in defense of Sanju Samson, who is struggling to find his footing in IPL 2026. Despite the star batter's slow start with scores of 6 and 7 in his first two matches, Fleming believes that these early innings are not enough to judge a player of Samson's caliber. The coach remains confident that a turnaround is imminent.
Coach's perspective
Fleming on Samson's form
After the match, Fleming emphasized that, "he is not going to score every time. It's T20 cricket and he just nicked one today." "He is in good form. He is training well. And when he gets going, he is often a match-winner. So, two innings don't define an area of concern." The coach stressed that two innings shouldn't be seen as an area of concern for a player with such a proven track record like Samson.
Player's stats
Poor start for Samson in IPL 2026
Samson has had a rough start to his CSK career, with scores of 6 and 7 in his first two outings. He was dismissed by Nandre Burger for 6 off seven balls against Rajasthan Royals in Guwahati and managed just seven runs off as many balls on his Chepauk debut, where he fell to Xavier Bartlett. The numbers clearly show a slow start for the player.
Team's struggle
CSK lose to PBKS at Chepauk, 6th successive home defeat
Meanwhile, CSK's overall performance has been a concern as they lost to Punjab Kings, their sixth consecutive defeat at home. Despite scoring 210 runs, CSK couldn't defend the total at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. Priyansh Arya led the charge with a blistering 39 off just 11 balls while Shreyas Iyer anchored the chase with a fluent half-century as Punjab chased down the target in just over 18 overs.