Sanju Samson arrives in Chennai ahead of IPL 2026

Dubai: India’s T20 World Cup star Sanju Samson has arrived in Chennai to join his new franchise, Chennai Super Kings (CSK), ahead of the Indian Premier League 2026, which begins on March 28.

The five-time champions welcomed him with a post reading, “Chettan in Chennai,” followed by another message: “The moment we’ve waited for! WORLD CHAMPION SANJU SAMSON IS HERE.” They also shared a video of his arrival, captioned, “Chennai feels Sanju’s aura.”

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Samson received a rousing welcome from fans, with clips of his arrival quickly going viral on social media.

CSK will kick off their campaign against his former team, Rajasthan Royals, who traded the wicketkeeper-batter to Chennai in exchange for Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran.

In excellent form, Samson is expected to open the batting alongside India’s U-19 World Cup-winning captain Ayush Mhatre, aiming to provide explosive starts this season.

CSK head into the new season with a youthful squad, and Samson’s inclusion is expected to significantly strengthen the lineup. The move also fulfils Samson’s long-standing desire to represent the franchise.

This will be his third IPL team, following stints with Delhi Capitals and Rajasthan Royals. He joins CSK on the back of an outstanding T20 World Cup 2026 campaign, making the timing of the transfer ideal.

Earlier, Samson expressed his excitement about sharing the dressing room with MS Dhoni:

“I am really excited to be part of CSK. I had spoken to Dhoni bhai over the phone and shared the dressing room with him when I was with the Indian team. I’ve always had positive vibes after interacting with him. I’ll be spending close to two months with him at CSK, and I’m really looking forward to it. It will be a great opportunity to observe him closely and learn from him,” he said.

He also expressed gratitude for the support he received from Chennai fans during the T20 World Cup, saying, “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.”