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Sanju Samson, who came into IPL 2026 with a lot of anticipation, started his campaign in an unwanted fashion. The right-hand batter walked in but never really looked settled. He struggled to find any sort of timing or control as the Rajasthan Royals bowlers kept things tight and kept asking questions early on.

Sanju Samson falls early on CSK debut

His stay at the crease was cut short by a sharp delivery from Nandre Burger. It was slightly fuller than a good length and moved away at pace. Samson looked to play across the line but completely missed the movement.

The ball went past the bat and crashed into the off stump. A clean dismissal and a disappointing start as he departed for just 6 runs on his debut for Chennai Super Kings.

Unwanted record for Samson

With this innings, Samson registered an unwanted feat. For the first time since 2020, he failed to score a fifty plus knock in his opening match of an IPL season.

  • 74 (32) vs CSK, 2020
  • 119 (63) vs PBKS, 2021
  • 55 (27) vs SRH, 2022
  • 55 (32) vs SRH, 2023
  • 82* (52) vs LSG, 2024
  • 66 (37) vs SRH, 2025
  • 6 (7) vs RR, 2026

It had been a consistent run of strong starts over the years, but this time the pattern breaks with a low score.

CSK batting struggles continue

The troubles did not end there for CSK as the batting unit once again failed to click this season's opener. The side was reduced to 41 for 4 inside the powerplay, putting them under early pressure.

Ruturaj Gaikwad managed just 6 runs before getting out. Ayush Mhatre fell for a golden duck, while Matthew Short could only score 2 runs off 7 balls.

With key names already missing from the setup, the batting lineup looks unsettled. For a side with such a strong legacy, things are not falling into place right now and they need to find answers quickly.

IPL 2026: Sanju Samson's CSK debut ends on MS Dhoni's jersey number with zero impact