India’s World Cup-winning star Sanju Samson arrived in Chennai on Thursday to join the Chennai Super Kings camp ahead of his Indian Premier League (IPL) stint with the five-time champions. The IPL 2026
is scheduled to commence on March 28.
CSK’s social media handle posted an image of Samson’s arrival, captioned, “Chettan in Chennai.” In another post, they shared, “The moment we’ve waited for! WORLD CHAMPION SANJU SAMSON IS HERE.”
???????????????????????????? ???????? ???????????????????????????? 🦁
#WhistlePodu #Dencoming pic.twitter.com/gTa7soBoyf— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) March 19, 2026
The moment we’ve waited for!
WORLD CHAMPION SANJU SAMSON IS HERE 🦁 #Dencoming #WhistlePodu pic.twitter.com/T2SSN194Uq— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) March 19, 2026
The franchise also released a video of Samson’s arrival with the caption, “Chennai feels Sanju’s aura.”
Chennai feels Sanju’s aura 💛#Dencoming #WhistlePodu pic.twitter.com/hphCN9sVuf
— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) March 19, 2026
CSK will begin their campaign against Samson’s former team, Rajasthan Royals, from whom they traded the wicketkeeper-batter in exchange for Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran.
Samson Excited To Play With MSD And At Chepauk
Samson is in excellent form and is expected to open the batting lineup alongside India’s U-19 World Cup-winning captain Ayush Mhatre to provide strong starts for the franchise this IPL season.
CSK is entering the new season with a young team, and adding Samson is sure to boost their strength. Samson has previously expressed his passion for the franchise and his desire to play for it.
Since the transfer deal was finalized, with Jadeja and Curran moving to Rajasthan Royals and Samson to CSK, the Yellow Army fans have supported him wholeheartedly.
Samson is expected to play a crucial role at the top of the batting order and could also take on wicketkeeping duties from MS Dhoni in one or two matches if any injury issues arise with the 44-year-old veteran.
Earlier, Samson spoke about sharing the dressing room with Dhoni, saying, “I am really excited to be part of CSK. I had spoken to Dhoni bhai over phone and had shared the dressing room with him when I was in the Indian team. I always had positive vibes after interactions with him. I will be spending close to two months with Dhoni bhai in CSK and I am looking forward to it. It will be a great opportunity for me to observe him from close quarters and learn from him,” added Samson.
Expressing gratitude for the support he received from the Chennai audience during his stint in the T20 World Cup, Samson said, “I was surprised by the support I got from the Chennai crowd during the World Cup. I think I am lucky. Maybe they see me as one of them. I will give my best for CSK.”
(With inputs from Agencies)
