Will weather spoil Sanju Samson’s Chennai Super Kings debut?
Star opener will be facing his previous IPL team Rajasthan Royals in Guwahati on Monday
Dubai: All eyes are on the Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati as Chennai Super Kings face Rajasthan Royals in the third match of the Indian Premier League on Monday.
Sanju Samson will be one of the main talking points as he prepares to debut for CSK after moving from RR, where he spent more than a decade. Having played 11 seasons with RR, he remains their all-time leading run-scorer with over 4,000 runs. Overall, Samson has amassed 4,704 runs in 177 IPL matches at an average of 30.94 and a strike rate of 139.04, including three centuries and 26 fifties. He enters the season in excellent form after a Player-of-the-Tournament performance in the T20 World Cup 2026. His first appearance against RR adds an emotional layer, making him one of the biggest attractions in this contest.
However, the biggest concern remains whether the weather will interfere. Forecasts suggest partly cloudy conditions in Guwahati during the match, with a slight chance of rain interruptions. Temperatures are expected to stay in the early 20s, providing generally good playing conditions. Experts believe a full game is still likely, though there could be brief interruptions. Overall, conditions appear favourable for an exciting, high-scoring encounter.
With MS Dhoni ruled out for two weeks due to a calf muscle strain, Samson will take up wicketkeeping duties and open the innings for the five-time champions.
Earlier in a video posted by the franchise, Samson said, “Feels really good, feels really excited to be a part of a champion franchise. Lots to learn, lots to observe, and really excited, really very calm. I think this is something which I relate to very much. I think I am a very chilled-out person, very calm, but when it comes to business, I think we give our everything.
Samson described the dressing room atmosphere as calm, composed, and quietly focused, much like his own personality.
“I can see in the dressing room people are calm, people are chilled out. They don’t roam around as 5-time IPL champions. I think they don’t roam around as the greatest cricketers the world has ever seen. But that’s what I really like to be a part of, and I am very happy that I am part of that kind of culture. And still early days, still looking forward to a lot of exciting things,” he said.
Transition phase
He also hinted at a transition phase within the squad, suggesting that it is part of a carefully thought-out rebuilding process.
“I think I would like to call it ‘very well planned’, actually. So yeah, very excited to play RR, looking forward to it,” he said.
Facing Rajasthan Royals immediately adds an emotional subplot, and Samson expects the Guwahati crowd to once again heavily favour CSK.
“I think last time when we played RR vs CSK in Guwahati, it didn’t feel like an RR home game. It was yellow all over the stadium. So that’s what we can expect again this time. And also, I think the passion of the crowds — I think they bring up a lot of energy. I think very passionate crowds in Guwahati are what I expect. And I think hopefully the wicket also plays well and we get a good game of cricket,” he mentioned.
Samson also spoke about the youthful energy within the squad and the fearless mindset they bring to the game.
“CSK is definitely in a building phase, and that’s what our recruitment has also been. So the number, definitely, the age is definitely much less. But in the amount of sixes these guys are hitting, they don’t actually look like youngsters anymore. So I think that’s what the character of the mindset is; it’s required in this format and in this hype. Just be free and go out there and express yourself with a lot of fearlessness. I think that’s what youngsters bring in, and we all are very excited to play with them.”
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