Sanju Samson‘s inspiring form has put Chennai Super Kings firmly in contention for a playoff spot in IPL 2026. Roped in by the franchise as part of a blockbuster trade deal with Rajasthan Royals, Samson has brought the same batting flair to CSK that won him the T20 World Cup ‘Player of the Tournament’ honors earlier this year. In 10 matches so far, Samson has amassed more than 400 runs, including two centuries against Delhi Capitals and Mumbai Indians, respectively.
The 31-year-old was just 13 runs shy of his third century of the season-and a second against DC this campaign-finishing unbeaten on 87 in CSK’s last outing earlier this week.
Ever since his arrival at Chepauk, there has been constant speculation over whether Samson would take over the reins from Ruturaj Gaikwad. However, the 31-year-old has finally broken his silence, revealing the reason why he is not leading the franchise this season.
Speaking on the Super Kings podcast, Samson suggested that the thought of captaincy never crossed his mind after joining his new team.
“No. (whether the thought of becoming the CSK captain entered his head). I already had a team. I already had a place. I wanted to come out of there and join another team. So in that transaction, you can’t actually have demands. Honestly, you are trying to get in a new home. When you’re trying to get into a new home, you don’t go there with demands, is what I have learned to be very honest,” said Samson.
Samson, who hails from Kerala, noted that his Malayali roots have shaped his philosophy of giving his absolute best to the team without expecting anything in return.
“You go there, and you try to prove your worth. You try to behave the way you are, perform at your maximum, and from there you take on. And then there is something else, too. A lot of Malayalis work in Chennai. A lot of Malayalis work in Dubai. The reason you are picking Malayalis is that they will give their life to repay the trust. CSK have trusted me and invited me here. I am ready to give my everything here,” he added.
Samson also threw his full support behind Gaikwad, highlighting the CSK skipper’s composure and leadership traits. Furthermore, he revealed that it was Gaikwad himself who reached out to initiate the trade from RR.
“Rutu is honestly a very nice, a very different kind of an Indian cricketing superstar. He is a superstar. He is leading one of the biggest franchises. But he doesn’t behave like a normal superstar. He may not sound or behave like a confident guy, but I feel he is the most assured and confident cricketer in the Indian cricket circle. Any other person at his level, he just captained a franchise for one year,” said Samson.
“I have done it for another team for five years. So, he suddenly invited me to play on his team. He has immense confidence in himself as a cricketer and as a person to take actions like this. So these types of actions do attract me. Nowadays, people talk a lot like I will do this, I will do that, but more than talk, actions count much more,” he added.
Featured Video Of The Day
Delhi vs Mumbai IPL 2026: Fans Flood Arun Jaitley Stadium for High-Voltage Clash
Topics mentioned in this article