Former team India all-rounder Irfan Pathan believes Sanju Samson could play an important role for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in their opening match against the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the Indian Premier League 2026 (IPL 2026) on March 30 in Guwahati.
Speaking on JioStar, Pathan explained how Samson’s experience with the RR squad could help CSK in the game. “Sanju Samson’s presence will make a lot of difference for CSK because no one knows Rajasthan Royals better than him. From that perspective, you will get inside information from Sanju about how that team plays, how they approach the Powerplay, the middle overs, their mindset and even their bowling as well.”
Samson had been associated with RR for 11 years before being traded to CSK ahead of the 2026 IPL auction for ₹18 crore. During his time with RR, he scored more than 4000 runs in the IPL.
Pathan also pointed out that Samson’s connection with the young players of RR could be beneficial for CSK’s preparations.
“All the youngsters in Rajasthan Royals have played with and under Sanju, so he will be a huge advantage for CSK, not just in terms of the form he will carry from the T20 World Cup, but the experience of playing in Guwahati will also come in handy for him in the first game. I am very excited to see how CSK are going to fare this season because they have brought in some very exciting young players.” Irfan said.
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