Sanju Samson experienced a disappointing debut for Chennai Super Kings as he was dismissed for only six runs against his former team Rajasthan Royals in the IPL 2026 opener at Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati on Monday. This marked the end of Samson’s streak of scoring fifties in opening matches since 2020. His early exit led to a top-order collapse for Chennai, with the team struggling at 19 for 2 within three overs.
Ruturaj Gaikwad, who scored 6 runs off 10 balls, attempted to break free but fell victim to Jofra Archer’s pace, losing his wicket at 19 for 3. The batting woes continued as Nandre Burger’s delivery forced Mhatre into an error, resulting in his dismissal for a golden duck. Rajasthan Royals dominated the powerplay overs with aggressive bowling from Burger and Archer.
To stabilize the innings, Chennai brought in Sarfaraz Khan as a substitute. Despite efforts to recover, Samson’s early departure had a significant impact on Chennai’s performance. Notably, his record in IPL opening matches since 2020 underscores the rarity of this failure.
Samson, who was facing pressure from Archer from the start, struggled to find his rhythm and managed only six runs in the opening over. Burger made a breakthrough by dismissing Samson for 6 off 7 balls with a delivery that deceived him.
The focus also shifted to Samson’s move from Rajasthan to Chennai before the season began. While Rajasthan claimed the first victory in this encounter, the overall impact of the trade will unfold during the tournament. With MS Dhoni sidelined due to a calf strain, Samson is expected to take on the wicketkeeping responsibilities for Chennai and provide stability in the top order as the season progresses.