Aaron Finch has lavished praise on Sanju Samson for his seamless transition into the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) lineup, describing the wicketkeeper-batter as the superstar the franchise had long been searching for. Samson joined CSK in IPL 2026 through a historic trade worth Rs 18 crore from the Rajasthan Royals, and he has quickly become one of the standout performers of the season.
Samson's Stellar Season
In 10 matches, Samson has amassed 402 runs at an impressive average of 57.42, placing him firmly in contention for the Orange Cap. His most recent innings, an unbeaten 87 off 52 balls against the Delhi Capitals on a challenging surface, earned him the Player of the Match award. During that knock, he became the first batter to be involved in two 100-plus partnerships against Delhi Capitals in a single IPL season.
Earlier in the tournament, Samson struck an unbeaten 115 against Delhi Capitals in Chennai and followed it with 101 against Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium. He also crossed the milestone of 5,000 IPL runs during CSK's clash against the Kolkata Knight Riders in April 2026.
Overcoming a Slow Start
Samson's campaign did not begin smoothly. After arriving in a blockbuster trade that involved Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran, he started IPL 2026 with three single-digit scores, all resulting in CSK defeats. However, he has since transformed his form, registering three 50-plus scores in his last seven innings, including the decisive unbeaten 87 against Delhi Capitals.
Speaking on ESPNcricinfo, Finch highlighted the pressure Samson faced. "He missed out the first couple of games, didn't he? All of a sudden there was a massive panic: 'What has CSK done, they've got Sanju Samson and he's not performing.' Two games in T20 is nothing. To go right through a season ultra-consistent is so difficult. You probably can't underestimate the pressure on somebody going into a team like CSK," Finch said.
Finch added, "Being a huge marquee signing, particularly when you have traded someone like Jadeja out of the side as well. Although he had a dream run at the end of the T20 World Cup and then he's come in at CSK and missed out a couple of times, there will still be some pride and pressure and almost some feeling that you can tend to overplay it slightly in your own head that you want to get to a new franchise and really lay down a marker and say 'I'm here.' This is what you're traded for and the superstar that you've been crying out for. So, the fact that he's batting on a different level is great to see."
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