Still early days, yet eyes lock on Sanju Samson whenever he walks out to bat. Stephen Fleming stands firm beside him, voice calm amid rising questions over runs that haven’t come fast enough. The switch from Rajasthan Royals felt big news then; now it feels heavier under Chennai’s April heat. Hope rides loud on fresh faces, but form takes time.

After lighting up the 2026 T20 World Cup in India, earning Player of the Tournament honours, Samson arrived with big expectations to strengthen the top order. Yet so far, things have stayed calm; he made only 6 runs one time, then followed it up with a 7. Still, Stephen Fleming showed no worry, pointing out how normal such dips can be when facing the wild swings typical in short-format games.

“Two innings don’t define him”: Stephen Fleming backs Sanju Samson amid early struggles

Stephen Fleming emphasised that Samson’s form in training and overall confidence remain intact, and that it is only a matter of time before he delivers a match-winning performance. “He is not going to score every time. It’s T20 cricket, and he just nicked one today. But 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,” Stephen Fleming said after the match.

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Off the mark and barely heard, Samson’s form has dipped early this season. Not long after scraping 6 runs from 7 balls against the Rajasthan Royals in Guwahati, he repeated the stumble at home. Back on familiar turf at M. A. Chidambaram, another go saw him tag 7 off 7 - little relief there. Each innings, short and quiet, adds up.

Oddly enough, numbers paint a clearer picture of Samson’s struggles in Chepauk. At this ground, he's managed just 66 runs over six IPL knocks - that’s an average of 11, strike rate stuck at 100. Among venues where he’s batted at least five times, it stands out as his weakest return. The sluggish turn here seems to unsettle his rhythm more than elsewhere. Something about Chennai’s pitch doesn’t sit right with him.

Poor timing hits CSK hard right now. Already tense, the five-time winners stumbled through their first two games this season, piling onto last year's low point - finishing dead last. Next up looms a tough meeting Sunday with reigning titleholders Royal Challengers Bengaluru. All eyes shift again toward Samson, waiting to see if he settles into form.

When the games pile up, CSK will look to their big-name recruit to find form fast. Though results haven’t gone his way yet, there’s a belief inside the camp that Samson might spark something just when it seems too late. A shift could come quietly, mid-tournament, if rhythm returns during one unwatched over.