Ex-India Star Namedrops MS Dhoni In Big Praise For Sanju Samson: "Playing Same Role"
Sanju Samson had a below par show in the first three IPL 2026 games, but he turned things around from the next match and is now the top scorer of the team.
Former Indian cricketer Irfan Pathan believes that opener Sanju Samson is in his prime form, and his game awareness made a big difference in Chennai Super Kings' (CSK) dominant eight-wicket win against Delhi Capitals (DC) at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. Samson had a below par show in the first three IPL 2026 games, but he turned things around from the next match and is now the top scorer of the team. The wicketkeeper batter played an unbeaten knock of 87 runs and forged a match-winning 114-run partnership with youngster Kartik Sharma against DC, which helped CSK chase down the 156-run target in just 17.3 overs.
“Sanju Samson is batting at his peak right now, and what stands out is his game awareness. He's very clear about which bowlers to target and which ones to respect. You could see that he was cautious against someone like Lungi Ngidi, but the moment a less threatening option came on, he shifted gears and capitalised. That understanding of match-ups is outstanding," Pathan told Jio Hotstar.
"His contribution in the Chennai dressing room has been great. We have seen MS Dhoni contribute in every manner, whether it was helping the captain or sharing his experience in the dressing room. Sanju is playing the same role."
The former all-rounder also lauded Samson's mindset of taking the responsibility and staying till the end to finish the game for the team.
"More importantly, he's taking responsibility to finish games, especially on tricky surfaces, and doing it consistently. That's what defines a batter in top form,” he added.
Pathan also praised youngster Kartik's range of shots and his ability to read the spin variations and googlies easily.
“What really stands out in Kartik Sharma's batting is his ability to dominate the off-side, especially against spin. He reads variations well, even picking the googly early, which makes it difficult for bowlers to contain him in the middle overs," He said.
"He's shown that he can take on both spin and pace, and the confidence from his previous performances is clearly carrying through. Those shots over cover, particularly against quality spinners, show the kind of range he has, and that can have a big impact on his growth as a batter going forward," Pathan concluded.
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Chennai Super Kings
Sanju Samson
Irfan Pathan